A Song of Dragons and Wolves
by The Dragon of Winter
Summary: Elaena and Daenerys Targaryen are twins that were separated right after being born; one was exiled and the other was sent to the North to become a ward of the Starks. Eddard Stark swore to protect the silver-haired girl at all costs, but will the dragon survive through the winter, among the wolves? Slight AU
1. Children of the Storm

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. I only own my OC, Elaena Targaryen, who is also portrayed by Emilia Clarke.**

* * *

Another thunder broke through the black sky, and another one of Rhaella's piercing screams filled the air surrounding her and her two midwives. In the night that she had gone into labor, an immense thunderstorm broke out, and Rhaella thought the Gods were telling her that her two unborn babes were already doomed for life. The Queen kicked and screamed, cried and yelped, but the storm only grew stronger and more violent. The wind was banging on the doors and windows like an army of ghosts trying to enter the Keep of Dragonstone, and Rhaella only became more and more desperate as the pain between her legs grew even more intense.

"You must push now, Your Grace!" One of the midwives instructed her. And so she did. With every bit of remaining strength she had, she pushed, and pushed, and pushed! Sweat dripped from her entire face, and tears formed in her violet eyes when the sound of drilling whimpers were finally heard. One of the twins was already out, yet the other one was not far behind. A few more painful moments passed by and at last, both babes were placed in her arms after the midwives took care of cleaning them up. "Two girls, Your Grace. What will you name them?" Two names came into her mind immediately. Rhaella was so happy then. Her girls were living and breathing, and they were so beautiful. Both had the characteristic silvery blond hair that almost all Targaryens had, but only one of them shared the violet color of eyes. Rhaella frowned at this. The other girl's orbs were green, almost blue.

"This one here…" Rhaella gestured towards the girl with the violet eyes. "Will be called Elaena." Her eyes then landed on the green-eyed babe. "And this one will be named Daenerys." The two midwives smiled between each other, observing the loving scene between mother and children. "Elaena and Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, those will be their names!"

That tender moment only lasted until Rhaella began coughing thick blood. She was sweating again, and her skin was becoming even paler. "Your Grace..." One of the midwives murmured, rushing towards her Queen, her hand landing on the woman's forehead to measure her temperature. The young girl gasped in pure horror. "You are burning up, Your Grace!"

"I am dying." Rhaella stated, her tone even and controlled. She wasn't scared; she wasn't even surprised. She had lost so much during her entire life, but now, she was happy that at least her son Viserys and daughters Daenerys and Elaena were alive. "One of you two will write down this letter for me…" One of the midwives left the room and came back seconds later with a quill and a piece of parchment in hands. "The letter is directed to Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North." The girl who was going to write the letter glared at the Queen strangely, but began writing nevertheless. " _Lord Stark, your sister Lyanna promised me that peace would be ensured if my son Rhaegar returned her safely to the Usurper Baratheon, but now they are both dead, and I am going to join them very soon. I do not condemn you, my lord, I only ask this favor out of you: marry your eldest son to my first daughter, Elaena. My other children are being sent away, but I need to know that at least one will be raised with honor, and married to an honorable man. The blood of Old Valyria runs through her veins. She is now yours to look after and protect, Eddard. Do not send her away, I beg of you. This peace will not last long, mark my words. Elaena may just be your last hope when everything is lost. Winter is coming, but you will have Fire to protect you_."

"Your Grace! What about your other children? Viserys and Daenerys?" The girl writing the letter questioned, glancing up at the Queen with worried eyes.

"Bring Viserys to me." Rhaella ordered, glaring sharply at the other midwife. She nodded quickly and left the room. "Your friend will take them both to the Free Cities. There are still many Houses who support the Targaryens and will not dare to turn them down." Rhaella let out a pained scream. Death was coming for her, oh it was. "And you. You will leave for Winterfell, and you will take my daughter Elaena with you. Take the letter and if needed be, explain everything to them. I know they will not refuse her."

"Your Grace, is it wise to deliver Princess Elaena to the Starks? What if they inform Robert Baratheon about her existence? What if he slaughters her?"

"They will not do such thing. Eddard Stark is a man with honor, and if it means that he will save this life, _her_ life, he will lie to his so called King to protect her." Rhaella growled defensively. The other midwife quickly came back with Viserys trailing behind her, the boy looking innocent and frightened. He knew his mother was dying. "Now, you two must abandon the room. Prepare everything. You are leaving at dawn. I need to say goodbye to my children. My end is coming near."

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 **Author's Note: Hello! This is my second attempt at writing a Fan Fiction about Game of Thrones.** **The first one didn't go so well, in my opinion.** **I had another story posted, but I ended up deleting it. I'm a bit insecure about how this will be received by you lot, but I would LOVE to hear your opinions about what I wrote. And please, be kind to me. You may not like it, but you can always show kindness.**


	2. Winter is Coming

Elaena Targaryen playfully shoved Robb Stark away from her as they began fighting with their swords. Her long silvery blonde hair flowed gently in waves as the cold breeze of the oncoming winter blew past it, her violet eyes shining with pure joy. Elaena swung her sword at Robb once again, managing to dodge all of his attacks. Theon Greyjoy and Jon Snow watched the scene with rather amused eyes. Robb was very good with a sword in hands, but so was Elaena. After all, she grew up surrounded by these boys, and she was forced to learn something from them.

Theon loved to tease her. There hadn't been a day that Theon Greyjoy and Elaena Targaryen hadn't almost murdered one another. Still, there was a certain fondness noticeable in each pair of eyes whenever they fought each other. The boy had grown to love her as if she were his younger sister. "Come on, Robb! Are you going to let a girl beat you?"

"She is not just any girl, Theon." Jon Snow pointed out with an amused smirk, gesturing towards Robb's swift opponent. "It's Elaena. You have to admit she is pretty good with a sword in hands."

"Yeah, she is pretty good… for a girl." Theon drilled, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Robb glanced back at his half-brother and close friend and casted them the ghost of a smile before nearly being knocked to the ground by the Targaryen girl. No one knew about her true origins, except for the Starks and Theon Greyjoy. If anyone else suspected that Elaena Targaryen was even alive, word would spread across Westeros and the girl would be sent to die. In the eyes of the Northern men, she was just the beautiful ward under the protection of the Starks. Yet, that silvery blonde hair and those violet eyes of hers would always raise a few questions from visitors. Fortunately, Eddard Stark came up with the story that Elaena had been found in the woods during a confrontation between Northern men and Wildlings. Ned would always say that the girl was merely a babe when he found her, a babe trapped inside the embrace of her dead mother. Thanks to this story, Elaena had earned quite a reputation, one she particularly didn't enjoy.

The people of Winterfell liked her well enough, though. Of course, they would never let her anywhere near their children, but still they thought she was quite pleasant and appealing. Most of them even said that Catelyn Stark feared that the Wildling ward had become even more beautiful than her own daughters. Elaena had stopped listening to their careless whispers a long time ago, and so did the rest of the Starks.

Robb and Elaena's battling came to a sudden end when the boy finally rested the sword's pointy tip against the girl's abdomen. She dropped her own weapon rather dramatically and laughed at him. "Well done, Robb, well done! You managed to outsmart me, again."

"You always put up a fight, but you still let him win you every time." Jon countered with a small smile, preparing himself to replace the girl on the field.

"That is right, Jon. I _let_ Robb win." Elaena emphasized the last part and glared challengingly at Robb, hoping to get him to look at her with those icy blue eyes that she enjoyed having glaring at her ever so often. She heard him chuckling and found herself enjoying the sound of it quite a lot.

Theon cackled a very obnoxious laugh at her comment, shaking his head at her. "You didn't let him win, Elaena. He won you, plain and simple."

The Targaryen girl narrowed her eyes at the iron born boy. "Perhaps I could win you, if you had the courage to fight a girl." She paused, a provocative smirk gleaming on her red lips. "But you don't do well with sword fighting, do you? You prefer a bow and arrows. I have been told that those are weapons designed more for women, isn't that right?"

Theon sent her a nasty glare. The fight could become distasteful any minute now. "Don't you have some lessons to attend to? Go learn something with Maester Luwin or sew a dress with Septa Mordane. Isn't that what every other lady in the realm should be doing instead of fighting with swords?"

"And who said I haven't done that already?" Elaena snapped right back at him, turning on the spot to place her weapon back in its required place. This time, Elaena had to lie to him. She hadn't visited Maester Luwin yet this week and she hadn't seen Septa Mordane in a long while.

"Come on, now, Theon. Stop tantalizing her. Are you _that_ afraid that she will beat you with a sword?" Robb remarked, sharing a laugh with Jon. Theon glanced at his friends with an irritated expression on his young features and rolled his eyes at them.

"You know damn well she could do it." Jon quipped, making Robb laugh again.

"If I keep challenging you and you keep refusing, I will just assume you are afraid of getting beaten by a girl." Elaena pressed further, trying to make him feel frustrated and irritated. Theon was always poking fun at her; now it was her turn to do the same thing.

Theon grumbled something under his breath and turned to look at the Targaryen girl, a determined look on his young face. "Get your sword then." Elaena lifted her delicate eyebrows in surprise but a small smirk played on her lips. Theon was the easiest one to rile up, and she would always take advantage of that. She pulled out her sword once again and positioned herself, watching as Theon copied her actions. They eyed each other for a couple of seconds before the girl lunged at him, swinging her sword at the iron born boy. This time, she failed to strike him and nearly got thrown to the ground, but she quickly recovered as she was clever and fast. Theon lunged at her and attempted to bring her down, but fell unsuccessful. Robb and Jon stood on the sidelines, watching the scene unfold with amused expressions. It was obvious to them that Elaena was more skilled with the sword than Theon was, but still he insisted on the contrary. The fighting stretched on for a few more minutes until Theon nearly defeated Elaena. Just as he thought he had won, the Stormborn girl turned the game upside down and pushed him to the mud, pointing her sword at his neck.

She had defeated Theon, of course. Robb and Jon laughed mockingly at the iron born boy's sour expression as he jumped up from the ground. Elaena silently placed the sword back in its place and realized she had hurt his man pride. She smiled to herself and began walking away from the three males, only to be stopped by a very well known voice calling out her name.

"Elaena! What are you doing? Where are you going?" Robb Stark inquired, causing her to whirl around to glare at him.

"I am going to do things that the proper ladies of my age should be doing." Elaena replied sharply, casting a nasty glare towards Theon's way. She then smiled directly at Robb, adding: "Do not worry, Robb. I will come back later to get my revenge."

"I am looking forward to that!"

"Oh, I am sure you are!" Elaena shot back, a huge grin gracing her young and beautiful features.

* * *

That same day, Maester Luwin and Elaena sat by the fireplace of the library tower, watching the resplendent flames. Elaena's violet eyes were locked on the blazing fire, and yet she felt the old man shivering beside her. It hadn't started snowing yet, but the air was already turning cold, and therefore it felt rather comforting to be near the warmth of fire. It was time for Elaena's weekly lesson, but she knew that she didn't need them anymore. She just wanted to skip it and go back to the courtyard to spend more time with her friends. Maester Luwin had promised her that it wouldn't take too long, though.

"After we review about what you know, you can go and rejoin Robb, Jon and Theon in the courtyard." The Maester had told her, attempting to convince the girl.

She nodded once, her violet eyes still gazing at the hot fire. Elaena couldn't quite explain why or how, but she felt drawn to those flames. She wanted to feel them on her fair skin, she wanted to touch them so desperately. It was as if it was calling out her name, telling her to come closer to it. She was beginning to lose herself in her own thoughts when Maester Luwin's voice prevented her from diving deeper. With an open book on his lap, the old man began his questioning. "We are reviewing about the House Targaryen today." Elaena sent the old man a warning glare, but he was not frightened by it. "Do not give me that look, Princess. We will start with the basics." Her sour expression softened mildly, and she glanced down at her pale hands. "What is their sigil?"

"A red three-headed dragon on a black field."

"And their words?"

"Fire and blood."

"Who was the last ruler of the House Targaryen?"

"The mad king. He was also referred to as King Scab." Elaena responded with pure disdain, her purple eyes once again gluing themselves to the mesmerizing fire. Maester Luwin sent her a cold glare, and she sighed deeply. "Fine. Aerys Targaryen, the Second of His Name. Deceased. He was backstabbed by Jaime Lannister, who is now also known as the Kingslayer."

"And his wife?"

" _Sister_ , and wife." Elaena corrected. "Rhaella Targaryen. Deceased. Died after giving birth to the twins Elaena and Daenerys Targaryen."

"How many children did Aerys and Rhaella have?"

"Four. One deceased." Elaena's heart tightened a little when she remembered another piece of information. "Actually, it is said that Queen Rhaella had three miscarriages, two stillborns and three babes that died shortly after being born. All of that happened before Viserys was born."

"Out of the four children that survived long after birth, how many were boys and how many were girls?"

"Rhaella gave birth to two boys and two girls."

"And what are their names?"

"Rhaegar and Viserys are the boys. Elaena and Daenerys are the girls."

"Very well." Maester Luwin closed the big book, placing his aged hands over the cover. His expression changed into a startled one, but Elaena didn't even notice that, as her eyes were once again fixed on the dancing fire. "A raven has arrived today, Princess Elaena. It concerns your siblings." The Maester withdrew a small parchment from his pocket and unrolled it, handing it to the silver-haired beauty. Her violet eyes analyzed the paper and, after a few moments, she pressed her lips into a thin line.

Silence filled the entire place. Elaena rose up from the chair and began pacing around the library room, still not finding the right words to pronounce. Viserys, her older brother, had arranged a wedding between Daenerys and the leader of a Dothraki tribe. Daenerys was to become Khal Drogo's wife and a Khaleesi. Obviously, Viserys did not just decide to marry his sister off to that man for no reason at all. In exchange, Khal Drogo would help him reclaim his crown and the Iron Throne. After assimilating that information, Elaena whirled around to face Maester Luwin. "My brother wants my sister to marry this man, Khal Drogo, so he can help him take back the throne." Elaena gazed one last time at that piece of parchment before throwing it to the fire. "Is this true?"

"I believe it is, Princess Elaena. It was Illyrio Mopatis who sent the letter." Maester Luwin explained, his eyes following Elaena's unnerved movements. She hadn't heard news of her siblings for months, almost a year, and now she received the information that her twin sister Daenerys was about to get married to a Dothraki leader. Viserys was practically selling their sister to get what he so much desired; the Iron Throne. "Viserys and Daenerys trusted the man well enough to tell him your location, it seems. The letter was sent here with the intent to inform you about their current plans. Illyrio is smart enough; he will not let slip any information related to your placement. You mustn't worry, child."

"It is not that particular part that is worrying me, Maester Luwin." Elaena paused, once again gazing at that alluring fire. "My twin sister is to be married soon and I won't even be able to witness it. My brother may or may not take back the Iron Throne – if he is clever and has a very large army behind him – but there is still that possibility, that great possibility, that I may never come to know them in person, or see them. I have spent my entire life away from my remaining family and, for all that I know, I might spend the rest of it that way."

Maester Luwin gave her a sympathetic, comprehensive smile. "I understand your anxiety, child, but think of it this way: whether you ever come to meet your siblings or not, you already have a family here. It may not be by blood, but Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn would put their lives at risk to protect you; that is what they have been doing this entire time by hiding you here. They have raised you as one of their own children; they love you as if you were one of their own children. You may not have your siblings by your side, but you are not alone in this place, Princess Elaena." She smiled genuinely at the old man, unable to form words. Maester Luwin sighed and the purple eyed Targaryen turned to face the fire one last time. It was still calling out her name, just like a mermaid that lured men to their final doom. Even so, Elaena knew that the fire would not bring her any sort of disgrace; it was quite the contrary, it seemed. _Fire and blood_ , she recalled.

"Thank you, Maester Luwin." Elaena said at last.

"There is no need to thank me, Princess." Maester Luwin stated, a small smile gracing his touched by time features. "Now, you must go. I understand that Robb Stark and Jon Snow are waiting for you in the courtyard. Go to them."

"Indeed they are." Elaena remembered, approaching the door to leave. She threw one last glance at the Maester and nodded once at him, exiting the library.

The Targaryen girl almost tumbled down the stairs with all the hurry to be with her friends once again. The thoughts related to her family would never abandon her mind, but she should not let it affect her so much. She sprinted through the courtyard until she finally found them. Elaena's lips quirked into a half smile when, as if he had felt her nearing presence, Robb glanced back at the purple eyed beauty with those icy blue eyes that transmitted Elaena a sort of feeling she had never dealt with before. Her heart sped up quite a bit, and she thanked the Gods that no one was able to hear it. Robb went to stand by her side, his eyes lingering on her silhouette for longer than usual.

Before Maester Luwin found her and almost dragged her to the library tower, Elaena had changed into a long violet gown that seemed to bring out her bright eyes. The beauty raised her delicate eyebrows at Robb as she noticed that the Stark boy couldn't bring himself to look away from her. Even though he didn't say a word to her, she could see right through those big blue eyes of his. Bran's sudden groan of despair brought the couple out of their trance, and Robb let out a deep laugh when the poor boy couldn't even hit the target with his arrow. Rickon and Jon snickered as well, causing Elaena to look away, attempting to suppress the smile that insisted on creeping out of her lips.

"You shouldn't be mocking him, you know? Bran might actually be better than me at archery." Elaena countered with a playful smirk. "And that is not something difficult to accomplish, I'm afraid."

"Don't offend yourself." Robb replied. The silver-haired girl chuckled softly. "I wouldn't go that far and say that Bran is better than you at archery." His lips brushing so lightly against her ear were enough to have her entire body shivering and tingling. What he was doing to her she was not entirely sure, but Robb had some sort of power over her that no other boy could ever possess. "Though I do have to say, Ella, you are terrible."

Before she could respond, Bran fired yet another arrow and, once again, he failed to hit the target. This time, Elaena couldn't stop herself from barking a laugh along with the boys.

"And which one of you was a marksman at ten?" Eddard Stark's voice caused their laughter to cease in the blink of an eye. Elaena glanced up at the balcony where the Lord and Lady of Winterfell stood and noticed the amused smile tugged on Ned's lips. "Keep practicing, Bran. Go on."

"Don't think too much, Bran." Jon advised, sounding quite serious this time.

"Relax your bow arm." Robb instructed.

Bran pulled the arrow back, trying to focus on hitting the target for once. Just as he was about to let loose the string, another arrow hit the center of his target. Everyone immediately turned in surprise to find Arya standing there as she curtsied after her perfect shot. She took off running, knowing that Bran would be right on her heels. "Quick, Bran! Faster!" Robb and Jon shouted at their younger brother, laughing to themselves as they watched the youngsters disappearing through the courtyard.

Rodrick Cassel and Theon Greyjoy approached Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn on the balcony, instantly ripping their attention away from the children and the other ward. Robb, Jon and Rickon began picking up all the arrows fired by Bran, and Elaena decided to help as well.

"I haven't seen you since you battled with Robb and Theon this morning. Where have you been all day?" Jon directed his question to Elaena, who turned on her heel to return three arrows to its required place.

"I have been hiding away, but Maester Luwin still found me." Elaena responded dryly, picking up two more arrows. "He insisted on reviewing what I knew about some of the Houses he taught us."

"Which Houses did you review about this time?" Robb inquired, nodding at Rickon as he brought him some more arrows.

"Just the Targaryens."

Robb and Jon eyed each other for a few moments, clearly taken aback by her response. Elaena kept an emotionless expression, feeling their eyes now lingering on her. They had never really discussed this specific matter with her. Robb thought it to be a very delicate subject to bring up in a conversation. Jon simply didn't want to bring up her past. Both of them respected her, and she was grateful for that. The trio remained silent, until Lord Stark sauntered over to them.

"Brace yourselves, lads." Eddard said. "A deserter from the Night's Watch has been captured. You are both coming with me, and so is Bran." Elaena widened her violet eyes but said nothing, preparing herself to leave their company. "Where are you going, Elaena? You are coming too." Robb and the girl shared a concerned look, but still she nodded to the older man with vigor and might.

"Yes, my lord."

Lady Catelyn descended the stairs of the balcony that led to the courtyard. She decided it was time to intervene. "Ned, I am not letting you take Elaena with you. A young lady is not meant to see _such things_. Please, let her stay here with me and the girls." The older woman moved to stand right in front of her husband, her piercing gaze searching for his greenish eyes.

"Cat, she must come. The girl needs to see things for what they truly are." Eddard explained. Catelyn sent him a disapproving look. "There is no softness in this world, but there is justice. The sooner she realizes that, the better."

Lady Catelyn became quiet at her husband's argument. The woman wanted nothing more than to protect those she loved most, and that included Elaena. Unfortunately, she couldn't shield her from something like this. She needed to witness what the world was truly like; cowardice needed to be met with justice.

"Ready yourself, my child."

* * *

Robb offered his hand to help Elaena off her horse, and she accepted it without a second thought. They were now standing in the middle of an immense field of green. Her heart was pounding wildly, as she had never witnessed someone dying before. She knew that it wasn't the first time for Robb or Jon, but for her… she had never been more nervous in her entire life. Catelyn had been right, but so had Eddard. She needed to endure this.

"White Walkers… I saw the White Walkers. White Walkers. The White Walkers, I saw them…" Two guards dragged the murmuring crow to the block and forced him to bend down. The deserter directed his almost crazed eyes to Lord Eddard, who gazed at the man with pity. "I know I broke my oath, and I know I'm a deserter. I should have gone back to the Wall and warned them." He paused, his eyes searching the area until they found the silver-haired beauty standing right by Robb's side. His eyes remained on her for longer than desired, until he forced himself to look away, paling at the sight. Robb noticed that, and quickly made sure to grasp Elaena's fair hand. "But I saw what I saw. I saw the White Walkers. People need to know! If you can get word to my family, tell them I'm no coward. Tell them I'm sorry." A deadly silence filled the air around them.

"Whatever you do, don't look away." Robb warned Elaena, who sent him a puzzled look. "My Father will know if you do."

The Targaryen girl nodded once, her violet eyes darting away for a moment.

She had many times wielded a sword, and she had become quite skilled with it, but never once in her life did she hurt someone with that weapon. Now, she was about to witness Lord Stark take a life away with his own sword. The crow glanced up once again, his eyes finding Elaena's purple orbs. Though she had never seen his face in her entire life, the deserter seemed to recognize her, which wasn't a particularly good thing.

"Lady Elaena…" The crow suddenly called out to her. How did he know her name? Her eyes widened considerably, and her hand nearly crushed Robb's. "Lady Elaena, is that you? Maester Aemon, he often spoke to me about a nearly white haired girl with purple eyes that lived with the Starks in the North. Is that you, my lady? Your hair looks almost like his. Lady Elaena…"

"That is enough. You will not address her anymore." Lord Eddard said, shooting the girl a concerned look. She returned it, and then looked down at the crow. His expression was a mixture of pain and shame. _Whatever Aemon told him will die with him_ , Elaena thought bitterly.

"Forgive me, lord…" The crow whispered, looking down at the green grass. His neck was now placed on the curve of the tree limb, and his lips continued whispering innumerous words until he heard the weapon that would put an end to his life being pulled out of its scabbard.

Holding his sword, Ned began the speech. "In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, I, Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, sentence you to die."

As Eddard swung his sword, the oxygen in Elaena's throat and lungs became trapped. The crow's head fell to the ground, and his thick blood spilled out. Never once did the girl look away from him.

Robb let out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been sustaining and pulled Elaena with him towards the horses. Jon and Bran joined the pair while Lord Eddard stood back with his men. The silver-haired beauty felt numb, absolutely numb. She wanted to be sick, she wanted to throw up, and yet she couldn't. She couldn't even speak.

"You did well." Jon told Bran, who had the same paralyzed expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" Robb asked Elaena, his worry for her becoming quite evident.

The girl gulped thickly, nodding. Her eyes never left the ground as they approached the horses. "You know, for a girl, you did quite well." Elaena heard Theon Greyjoy snorting behind her. She rolled her eyes and whirled around to cast him the dirtiest look she could muster up. "I was expecting you to scream and vomit, but no. I have to say, you surprised me."

"Shut up, Theon." Elaena growled at him. "Now is definitely not the time."

Theon was about to make another snarky comment, but Robb threw him a withering look. A few moments later, the iron born boy backed away from the pair, muttering something under his breath. Elaena groaned impatiently; she loved Theon like a brother, but the damn boy always knew how to get on her damn nerves.

* * *

Images of the crow getting his head chopped off crossed Elaena's mind once again, and she cursed internally. She never thought of herself as an easy girl to scare, but truth be told, she had never witnessed anything like that before. Elaena was forcefully pulled out of her own thoughts when they came across a dead stag with its innards all pulled out. Her heart tightened a little as she saw the poor deer laying there, his lifeless corpse already rotting. All the men jumped off of their horses to study the dead creature, and she was forced to do the same thing.

Lord Eddard was the first man to crouch down beside the ravaged animal. "What is it?" Jon Snow asked, approaching his father.

"Mountain lion?" Theon suggested.

"There are no mountain lions in these woods."

Without any other word, Ned pulled out his sword and ventured into the forest. Robb, Jon, Bran, Theon and Elaena followed after Eddard along with the rest of his men. A few moments later, they were met with yet another corpse. This time, it was an enormous wolf. The poor creature had an antler driven through its throat, and her pups were whimpering desperately around her. The sight broke Elaena's heart; she had always had a soft spot for animals.

"It's a freak." Theon said after a moment of silence.

"It's a direwolf." Lord Eddard corrected, glancing sharply at his other ward. He proceeded to remove the antler from the creature's throat and threw it away. "Tough old beast."

"There are no direwolves south of the wall." Robb countered.

"Now there are five." Jon piped up. The bastard boy picked up one of the pups and offered it to Bran. "You want to hold it?"

Jon nearly shoved the pup in the young boy's arms, but he didn't mind it one bit. "Where will they go? Their mother's dead."

"They don't belong down here." Rodrick Cassel pointed out, sharing a hard look with Lord Stark.

"Better a quick death. They won't last without their mother." Ned declared, a suddenly sad look appearing in his eyes.

Theon immediately pulled out a blade, ripping the pup out of Bran's tight embrace. "Right, give it here."

"No!" Bran shouted, struggling to get the pup back in his arms.

"Put away your blade!" Robb ordered, pure disgust evident in his tone.

"I take orders from your father, not you." Theon responded with disdain, preparing himself to murder the little pup.

"Lord Stark, please! Do not let him do this." Elaena intervened, drawing the Lord's attention to herself. "Surely there must be some other way. Do not kill them, please. They are just harmless pups."

"They are harmless now. Imagine when they grow bigger." Theon argued. Elaena sent him an unpleasant glare but then turned to look at Eddard Stark almost pleadingly.

"Elaena, the pups will not last long without their mother." Ned repeated softly.

"How do you know that?" Elaena insisted, clearly not ready to give up on this. "They could be trained, fed and educated. They could have a chance."

"Please, father!" Bran pleaded as well.

"I'm sorry, Bran."

"Lord Stark?" Jon interjected, gesturing towards the remaining pups. "They are five pups. One for each of the Stark children. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. They were meant to have them." This time, Eddard seemed to ponder about his argument. Everyone looked at him with hope evident in their eyes, especially Bran.

The older Stark sighed, finally giving in. "You will train them yourselves. You will feed them yourselves. And if they die, you will bury them yourselves."

Bran nodded eagerly as Theon placed his blade back in its place and returned the pup to the young boy. Jon grabbed hold of two pups and handed them both to Theon, who took them in his arms. Robb grasped two more little wolves and Elaena approached him with a thrilled expression on her beautiful face. "Can I hold one?"

"Of course. There you go." Robb handed her a pup, and she smiled widely at the little creature. She cradled it in her arms while the pup struggled to reach closer to her face, attempting to lick her pale cheeks. She laughed and strived to stop the little wolf from biting at her hair as well. Robb stood still there, completely frozen, observing the girl and her genuine smile and laugh. It was hard to look away from her. The oxygen became trapped inside his lungs and he watched her, nearly breathless, as she played with the little pup. While observing the scene with amused eyes, Theon somehow managed to smack the back of Robb's neck, causing him to snap out of that daze.

"Theon! What was that for?" Robb yelled, rubbing the back of his neck, annoyed.

"You are not as discreet as you think you are, mate." Theon countered, gesturing towards the silver-haired girl. "I'm surprised she hasn't noticed yet. Or perhaps she did notice; maybe she just doesn't care about it." Robb glared at him dangerously and rolled his eyes. Of course Elaena hadn't notice it; her eyes darted away from him when the whimpers of a sixth pup were heard. Jon went to pick it up, and Theon's attention immediately turned towards the bastard. "The runt of the litter. That one's yours, Snow."

It wasn't long enough before they returned to their horses. In the trip back to Winterfell, Elaena had plenty of time to think about the several events of that long day. Winter was coming, oh it certainly was.


	3. The Enemy's Arrival

Elaena and Jon had been sparring endlessly, that morning. Jon was even a better swordsman than Robb or Theon ever were, and Elaena was having a hard time trying to defeat her opponent. Robb and Theon were watching the scene with curious eyes, wondering who was going to win this time. Elaena was putting up quite a fight but, deep down, the four of them already knew that Jon was about to win the girl. She lunged at him one last time before he threw her on the ground, and she gave up, at last.

"Are you getting rusty, Snow?" Theon questioned, his body leaning against the fence that surrounded the training area. "You almost let a girl beat you."

"Careful, now, Greyjoy. Those with a glass roof should _not_ throw stones to their neighbor's." Elaena responded, jumping up from the mud. She approached him and patted his shoulder, knowing she was about to annoy him beyond imagination. "Do I need to remind you of all the times that I have defeated you this month? _This_ month, let us not forget the previous ones."

"She is right, you know?" Robb pointed out, laughing at his friend's irritated expression. "The amount of times she has won you is quite embarrassing."

Theon snorted, unable to form words. His friends were right, unfortunately. Elaena had been growing more and more skilled with a sword as she became older. Theon had also noticed that what had gotten better as well with age were her mind and beauty. She had always been a pretty one, that is for sure, but now, she was becoming even more beautiful than she already was. There was no denying! Soon, she would have several suitors asking for her fair hand, most of them uncaring of the rumors they heard about her. "So, the royal family is coming to Winterfell." Theon drawled out, clearly searching for a change of subject.

"Yes, in a few days, it seems." Robb nodded with his head, grabbing hold of his sword to battle with Jon. "Sansa is almost having a fit. She wants to look perfect for the young prince."

"The prick prince, you mean." Theon laughed at his own remark, and Elaena smiled widely. About that he surely was right.

"Yes, that is the one. And my mother is quite worried about Arya. She can barely get a hold of that girl." Robb chuckled. "Imagine the struggle that it will be to put her in a dress." The boys and Elaena snickered at that comment. Arya hated dresses more than anything in the world; it was not a secret to anyone.

"What about you, Elaena?" Theon turned sideways to face the silver-haired beauty. "Do you also want to look perfect for Prince Joffrey? He could choose you to become his bride."

"Oh, Gods, no!" Elaena answered immediately, making a disgusted face. Her stomach turned, and she felt sick simply by thinking of it. Theon and Jon laughed at her repulsed expression. "Blond, spoiled brats are not exactly my type, by the way."

"So what is your type, then?" Theon pressed further, casting an amused glance towards Robb's way. The future Lord of Winterfell eyed the beauty with interested and somewhat hopeful eyes. Her purple orbs shifted towards him for a moment before she looked back at Theon again.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She mused, smiling sweetly at the iron born boy.

Theon was about to make another comment regarding what her likings were, but Maester Luwin appeared on the balcony, claiming that he urgently needed Elaena's company. "I promise to bring her back to you soon, boys." The Maester told them, nodding affirmatively at the lads. Happy to run away from the current subject, Elaena climbed the stairs and joined Luwin as they went inside the Keep. Maids and servants rushed through the entire house, cleaning and tidying every inch and corner. They were already preparing it for when the royal family came.

"I already had my weekly lesson, Maester Luwin. You said it was a lesson per week, right? Why am I here?" Elaena inquired, sounding quite suspicious.

"Can you accompany me to my chambers, my lady? Something arrived for you this morning, and I believe you will want to see it." Maester Luwin responded, sending the girl a very serious look. Elaena frowned, but still followed him upstairs. Their walk was silent, until they reached the Maester's bedroom. The old man opened the door and led the girl inside, her eyes looking around curiously. The room was small, but very neat and tidy. The flames in the fireplace were dying, only a few embers remained now. Luwin gestured for the girl to sit in one of the chairs near the fireplace, and so she did. A few moments later, the old man whirled around, a box and a letter in hands.

As he sat down in the chair next to hers, he placed the box and the letter on her lap. "What is this?"

"Read the letter first, child."

Her violet eyes studied him for a moment, but then glanced down, the piece of parchment becoming more important at the moment. The nearly white-haired girl broke the seal, unrolled the paper and then began reading it to herself. " _My dear great-grand niece… I am sending you this letter and this great gift, for I think it is time you have them. I am merely an old, dying man, but know that I do not forget my remaining family. Your siblings are not located as close to me as you are, but I think of them, and you, every day of my life. I was only meant to become a Maester. I was never meant to do greater things, but you are, my dear. With this grand gift, I trust you will do great deeds. You will take back what belongs to you, what always belonged to our family. Be kind, be brave, be merciful. Show them what they were not capable of showing us. I only hope to live long enough to see you arise from the ashes they all thought we had turned into. I expect a visit from you, Elaena. Not today, not tomorrow. Someday. I regret many things, but I do not want to regret not having met you. Pay a visit to this old man, will you? Fondly, Aemon Targaryen._ "

"The letter came from Castle Black this morning. Maester Aemon sent it specifically to you." Maester Luwin announced, knowing that she had already finished reading the letter. Her violet eyes sparkled with sad tears, and she did not dare to look up at him. She carefully folded the piece of parchment and decided to keep it instead of throwing it to the remaining embers in the fireplace. "Both the letter and the box have remained untouched, Princess."

Elaena gulped nervously and closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to get a hold of her emotions. Slowly, she opened them again and nodded with her head. Her elegant fingers touched the box and curiosity quickly got the best of her. Her hands removed the upper part of the box, and she frowned, utterly confused and astounded.

And then, it dawned on her.

Two large stones rested inside, one was silvery and the other was purplish. Reaching into the box, she pulled out the silvery scaled object. Maester Luwin's eyes widened considerably as he saw what Elaena held in both hands. "It can't be…" The Stormborn girl barely breathed out, her violet eyes wide as well. "How is this even possible? I thought they had been extinct…"

"Two dragon eggs…" Maester Luwin stuttered, surprise filling his old features. "Turned to stone by time itself. They are nothing but relics now. May I hold one, Princess Elaena?"

"Of course." The silver-haired beauty nodded slowly. Luwin grabbed the purplish egg, astonishment visible in his eyes. "They will never hatch, will they?" The girl inquired, her eyes studying the turned to stone egg with great care. "They are very beautiful, but I do not understand why Aemon sent them to me."

"Your family used to have dragons, Elaena. They may not hatch, but Maester Aemon still wanted you to have them." Maester Luwin replied softly, still too dazed to look away from the egg he was holding in both hands. "They are very valuable. You mustn't lose them, child."

"I would never!" Elaena said, her eyes darting to the dying fire for a moment.

"They are yours to keep now." Luwin countered, placing the purplish egg back in its box. "You must take good care of them."

"I will guard them with my life, Maester."

* * *

The oh so awaited day had finally come. The royal family was to arrive in a few hours, and Winterfell was bustling with activity around every corner. That morning, Elaena got out of her bed and politely asked her two maids to prepare a hot bath for her. The silver-haired girl needed to calm her nerves very urgently, as it was the first time that King Robert, Queen Cersei and Jaime Lannister were to lay eyes on her. She feared that they would somehow recognize her and have her immediately executed. The Queen was a very dangerous woman, one not to be played with; the Targaryen girl would try to be as far away from her as possible. Elaena also feared that she wouldn't be able to resist the urge to strangle the man who murdered her father Aerys by stabbing him in the back all those years ago. Plenty of things were racing through her mind at that moment, and she just wanted to get it all over with, though she knew that it would not be that easy.

After a very long and steamy bath, Elaena slipped into her dark blue gown, which had been recently made. It was a simple and modest piece of clothing, but it was warm and beautiful at the same time. Then, her two handmaidens helped her with her long silvery blonde locks. The top half of her hair was pulled up in a braided bun, and she wore the lower part in braids that tumbled down on either side of her pale neck. At last, she pulled on her baby blue cloak and fiddled with the crisscrossed straps. Elaena was ready to meet the King and the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and if she were to die, she would die looking like a real Lady of the North.

Before exiting her chambers, Elaena wanted to see her two dragon eggs one more time. She pulled out the box from underneath her bed and opened it. Her sleek fingers ran through the two large objects, once again astounded that their existence was in fact real. "Rhaegon…" She whispered softly, touching the silvery egg. For a moment there, she almost felt ridiculous for naming the eggs, but then again, no one else was to know about their existence. Only Maester Luwin knew about them, and he was not going to spread her little secret. Somehow, she felt as if they were only waiting for her to bring them to life. She could truly _feel_ them inside. "Visemon." She touched the purplish egg and sighed very deeply, closing the box to put it back in its place.

Elaena left her chambers to go find Lady Catelyn but, as she passed by a room near the kitchen, she heard the voices of Robb, Jon and Theon. The door wasn't closed and so she peeked inside. Of course, there they were. _I can find Lady Catelyn later_ , she thought with a sly smirk.

"Why is your mother so dead-set on us getting pretty for the king?" She heard Jon questioning his half-brother Robb, who was currently being shaved.

"It's for the Queen, I bet. I hear she's a sleek bit of mink." Theon piped up, a perverted smile playing on his lips. Elaena's purple eyes were glued to Robb's naked torso as soon as she walked closer to the three boys, and she couldn't force herself to look away from him. She clearly didn't pay any attention to what he said about Prince Joffrey. Seven hells! She couldn't even distinguish some of the words that poured out of his mouth, for that matter. It took her a few moments to snap right back to reality. "…Think of all those southern girls he gets to stab with his right royal prick."

"Theon Greyjoy! Is that really all you can think about?" Elaena suddenly scolded, making herself noticeable at last.

The three boys turned to look at the pretty girl, all of them surprised to see her standing there. Instead of replying to her comment, Theon chose a different tactic towards her. "Aren't you a pretty one!" She scoffed and glanced down, but Theon continued. "I am serious now, Elaena. That prince will not pay attention to any other lady if you are around."

"I am not trying to get his attention, Theon. Far be it from me to do such a thing." Robb and Jon snickered at her disgusted face.

"If it is not his attention you are trying to capture, then whose is it?" Jon inquired, switching places with Robb, who was now done being shaved. The future Lord of Winterfell and Elaena exchanged an intense look, but both quickly looked away.

"No one in particular."

"Well, you have already captured mine." Theon joked.

"Aye, he is right. You do look lovely." Jon said, his uncertain eyes studying the barber as the man grabbed a pair of scissors. "Be careful with that, Tommy."

Robb laughed at his brother. "Go on, Tommy, shave him good. He's never met a girl he likes better than his own hair." Elaena and Theon cackled at Robb's remark and watched Jon's nervous expression as Tommy grabbed a chunk of his hair.

Only then did Robb take a moment to really observe the silver-haired girl. She was so beautiful and enticing. She looked like a real Lady of the North, a genuine Stark woman, and that seemed enough to start a fire in him. Robb pulled her to the side, leaving Theon alone to mock Jon's anxious motions. "You look nervous." He told her, his icy blue eyes searching for her violet pair. After so many years, Robb still found himself admiring those eyes of hers. He knew that it was a characteristic trait of Targaryens in general, but he still wondered how it was even possible.

"I _am_ nervous, Robb." Elaena gulped thickly, beginning to speak in a hushed tone. "The royal family is coming here today. The man who murdered my father is coming. If Queen Cersei and Ser Jaime Lannister even associate me with Aerys, they will have my head on a spike. Gods, what if they see him through my eyes, my violet eyes? Us Targaryens all have the same silvery blonde hair. It is almost unmistakable."

"I know it is hard not to worry, but do not stress yourself because of this." Robb advised, rolling his eyes when she sent him an unconvinced glare. "I know, it is easier said than done. Just try to avoid being in their company, and if you really must, then I will be by your side. I will not let any of them hurt you."

"Cersei is the Queen, Robert is her husband and the King. If she wants me dead, she will have it her way, Robb."

"It will not come to that."

"How can you be so certain?"

"You are thinking too much about this. My father's story is believable. For all they know, you are the Wildling girl he found in the woods all those years ago. They don't need to know any more information about you."

"I suppose you are not wrong." Elaena drawled out after a moment. "Thank you, Robb."

"Now, shouldn't you be with my mother, helping Sansa and Arya getting ready?" Robb smirked, knowing that she had dodged her duties once again.

"Aye, and I will be, soon. I was on my way when I heard you boys chattering." Elaena clarified, keeping her eyes on his so she wouldn't look down at his half-naked body. They grew up together and she shouldn't feel flustered, but she did anyway. She was not the same little girl anymore, she was a grown woman now. She felt different towards him, for whatever reason. Robb was different too; he had grown up seeing Elaena as a very close friend and _maybe_ something more, but his vision of her had been changing drastically as time went by. He found himself drawn to her in ways that shouldn't be humanly possible. Quite frankly, he didn't want to think about the meaning of that, because he would become even more confused. "But if you want me to leave, then I will leave, my lord." She bowed to him in a mocking way.

He shook his head and flashed the girl a wide smile. "No, don't go. I enjoy your company quite a lot."

"Oh, you do?" Elaena asked, a playful smirk tugged on her pink lips. "Perhaps you can enjoy my company later, then. Duty calls."

"So you are leaving me here?" Robb asked, pretending to sulk.

"Yes, I am. You are not alone."

Robb glanced back and noticed that Theon was watching them through curious eyes. Jon was too worried about his hair to notice the pair's closeness. "Aye, you are right." Robb replied after a moment. The Stark boy moved to stand closer to the Targaryen girl, nearly brushing his lips against her earlobe. "I suppose I haven't told you how beautiful you are yet." He paused, noticing the corners of her mouth twitching up in a smile. Her pale cheeks turned bright red, and she took a deep breath, attempting to remain calm. "You will make the Queen absolutely jealous."

Elaena gave out a nervous laugh and backed away from him, her legs trembling uncontrollably. "Thank you, Robb. I, I have to go now." She eyed the two other lads and smiled at them. "See you later, boys." And just like that, she rushed out of that room.

Once she was out of their sight, she closed the door with a loud thud and leaned against the hard wood, placing a hand over her pounding heart. _What is wrong with me? I cannot behave like this! This is not me!_ Elaena mentally cursed herself and sighed, beginning to walk away to go find Lady Catelyn and the girls.

"What the hell did you tell her to have her running off like that?" Theon asked Robb, who stood in the same place, his eyes still watching the path she had taken.

"Did you somehow offend her?" Jon inquired.

"No. I just told her she looked beautiful."

"You find new ways to scare girls every day." Theon commented, cracking up at the situation at hands.

"I didn't scare her… She just fled." Robb argued, sounding mildly irritated. "And you know damn well that the other girls are not scared of me. It is quite the opposite, if you haven't noticed yet."

"You should know by now that Elaena is not like the other girls, Robb." Jon countered, switching places with Theon once the barber was done cutting at his hair and shaving his beard. "Flattery doesn't work with her. Just be yourself."

Robb sighed, lowering his head. His brother might just be right.

* * *

Elaena's heart was pounding wildly, but this time it wasn't because of Robb Stark. The gates of Winterfell were opened to allow the organized entrance of the King's guard men riding their horses. The Stark family was already lined up in the right order: Rickon was standing next to Lady Catelyn, and Lord Eddard waited right by her side; next to Ned was Robb, Sansa and Bran. Arya was still missing, apparently. Behind Robb stood Elaena, who placed herself in the middle of Theon and Jon. The rest of their men surrounded the family in an organized manner.

"Where's Arya?" Catelyn inquired, frantically searching around to find her wildest daughter. "Sansa, where's your sister?"

The red-haired beauty shrugged, not giving much thought to it. Riders with banners began entering the gates of Winterfell. Arya suddenly appeared, running towards them with a helmet on her head. Catelyn widened her eyes and Ned grasped the young girl's shoulders, forcing her to stop right in front of him. "Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing with that on?" The current Lord of Winterfell questioned, pulling her helmet off, a disapproving expression gracing his aged features. He handed it to Rodrick Cassel and Arya sped off to the end of the line, shoving Bran to the side.

A blond boy rode into the yard with some of the King's guard men, an arrogant look on his face. Elaena didn't need anyone telling her who that boy was, because she already knew: it was Joffrey Baratheon. His lustful eyes landed on Sansa, who smiled innocently at him. Robb glared at the boy with pure contempt, hoping he would get the message and back off. Joffrey's eyes then shifted towards Elaena and a cocky smirk played on his lips. She offered him a cold and deadly glare, which forced him to look away from Elaena rather swiftly. Jon saw what she did and snickered at the scene, elbowing her playfully.

"You were not playing when you said he was not your type." Jon whispered in her ear, causing her to laugh in return.

"If he dares look at me or Sansa that way again, I will punch his royal face." The silver-haired girl muttered in response, arching her delicate eyebrows in distrust as the boy sent her yet another prurient look. She wasn't enjoying the way he observed her and Sansa, but the worst was yet to come.

After Joffrey entered the yard, the royal carriage followed after him. At last, King Robert arrived with the rest of the King's guard men. As he came closer, everyone bowed down to His Grace. When Elaena glanced up, she began studying the King as he heaved himself off his horse. Lord Eddard had many times described him as a strong and fit man, a great warrior even. Lady Catelyn had also mentioned that he was very handsome. Elaena looked at him intently and didn't see any of those qualities. Perhaps he was that way, once, but now, it was clear that the King had really let himself go. She had also noticed that Robert and Joffrey had nothing to do with each other. There were no similarities or resemblances between father and son.

The black-bearded man approached the Stark family, gesturing for them to rise again. His walk was quite intimidating, but the man amused Elaena nevertheless. After Lord Stark rose up, everyone gathered that it was acceptable to do the same thing. Robert and Eddard eyed each other for a few moments.

"Your Grace." Ned said, curtsying to his King.

King Robert observed the man and raised an eyebrow. "You've got fat."

Eddard didn't even seem surprised by his comment, he was rather amused. He casted him a look that clearly meant 'look who is talking' and both men burst out laughing a second later. The two old friends hugged each other, and then the King proceeded to hug Lady Catelyn as well, exclaiming "Cat!"

She only replied "Your Grace" and smiled politely as the King went on greeting the rest of the Starks. Before he continued, he stopped in front of Ned again. "Nine years… Why haven't I seen you? Where the hell have you been?"

"Guarding the North for you, Your Grace. Winterfell is yours."

The carriage door opened and Cersei came out, followed by her two other children, a prince and a princess. They didn't bear the smug and pompous look that Joffrey Baratheon did; in fact, they seemed quite intimidated by the entire meeting. What baffled Elaena the most was the fact that none of their children resembled their supposed father, the King. They were all blond with pale skins. None of them seemed to have Robert's black hair or broad structure. Her thoughts about the royal children immediately dissipated when the Queen's emerald green eyes met her violet ones.

Elaena quickly looked away, focusing her gaze on King Robert as he moved on to meet the Stark children. "Who have we here? You must be Robb." The eldest son smiled and nodded at the King, while he moved on towards Sansa. "My, you're a pretty one!" She smiled widely and glanced down, blushing. Then, he approached Arya. "Your name is?"

"Arya."

The King pretended to tremble with fear, finally approaching Bran. "Show us your muscles!" The little boy raised his right arm and did as the King ordered him. The man let out a raspy laugh. "You will be a soldier!"

His attention then turned towards Theon Greyjoy and Elaena Targaryen, whose real identity he wasn't supposed to know about. "And you must the wards of Winterfell." Theon nodded with his head, and Elaena forced herself to smile at him. "Gods, Ned, this girl is a sight for sore eyes." She chuckled and thanked the King, grinning as she watched him moving towards Lord Eddard again.

Her smile immediately turned to ashes when the Queen approached the Stark family. Lady Catelyn quickly bowed to the blonde woman, a fake smile tugged on her lips. Cersei offered her hand for Lord Eddard to kiss and then paced slowly towards the children like a lioness choosing her prey. Robb kissed her hand reluctantly while Sansa curtsied to the Queen, and Arya was forced to copy her sister's actions. Cersei practically ignored Bran and Rickon, instead preferring to look at the two wards. She wrinkled her nose at the sight of Jon Snow, who stood next to Elaena, and narrowed her eyes at him, saying nothing. Then, her eyes landed on Theon and Elaena.

The silver-haired beauty's heart nearly stopped when the Queen laid her eyes on her. She offered her the ghost of a smile, but didn't say anything to either of them. Theon and Elaena eyed each other, both sighing in pure relief. Just when she thought the worst was over, Jaime Lannister, the Queen's twin brother, approached them as well. Robert and Eddard were too wrapped up in their conversation to even notice that the Queen walked back to where her children stood, a displeased expression on her beautiful face.

After greeting the Stark matriarch and the children, Ser Jaime Lannister approached the bastard and the wards. His eyes studied Jon and Theon rather carefully but since he didn't find anything suspicious about the two boys, he moved on towards their lady friend. Perhaps Cersei hadn't given much thought to it, but Jaime felt like he knew this girl from somewhere. Her silvery blonde hair, purple eyes and pale skin… For a moment there, he felt himself paralyzing completely. Could it be? No, it was not possible … Every single one of them had been killed in cold blood. No one from that House had survived, for all he knew. And yet, there she stood, her purple eyes staring right back at him. Every time questions were raised about her, Ned Stark would say that he found her in the woods during a confrontation between his men and Wildlings. People would quiet themselves at the realization that she was a Wildling, but he didn't believe that story, for reasons that were now obvious to him. He wasn't sure yet, but he was going to dig deeper and find out. He needed to know.

"Ser Jaime Lannister." He introduced himself to her. She offered the man her hand to kiss, quite reluctantly, and glanced over at Robb, who watched the scene with dangerous and threatening eyes. "I am very pleased to meet you, my lady."

Elaena forced a smile and nodded, watching him as he sauntered away from them.

"Take me to your crypt. I want to pay my respects." She heard the King saying to Lord Eddard, who gazed at him, unsure.

Cersei decided to intervene, her voice soft like silk but deadly as poison. "We've been riding for a month, my love. Surely the dead can wait."

"Ned." The King insisted, ignoring his wife and Queen. Ned raised his eyebrows at Cersei but still he led the King to the crypt. Embarrassed and humiliated, she turned towards her children and ignored the existence of all those Northern people who eyed her with scorn. Gods, how she hated the North!

After everyone started to disperse, Robb, Jon, Theon and Elaena gathered in the courtyard. "Did you notice the way the Kingslayer looked at you?" Robb asked Elaena, who nodded with her head and gulped nervously. Robb's tone was laced with anger, protectiveness and something else… _Jealousy?_ Elaena questioned herself. _No, it couldn't be_.

"I did, and it was terrifying. I thought he was going to unmask me right there."

"Did you notice the way King Robert ignored Queen Cersei when she spoke to him?" Jon asked.

"That was humiliating!" Theon piped up, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How long will it be until everything goes back to normal?" Elaena questioned them, her face nervous and preoccupied.

"Just a few weeks."

"Just a few weeks? That is plenty of time for them to find out the truth about who I am and behead me." Elaena said in a hushed tone.

"They will not find anything, and if they do, I will protect you." Robb promised her, ignoring the teasing looks he was receiving from both Jon and Theon.

"Protecting me would turn you into a traitor, a deserter. A usurper."

"Then we have all been traitors from the moment you stepped into our House." Robb said. "But if it means you are alive, so be it."


	4. A Feast with Lions

"Did you have to bury her in a place like this? She should be on a hill somewhere with the sun and the clouds above her."

King Robert touched the face of Lyanna Stark's statue, a visibly pained look in his eyes. Oh, how he had loved that woman with his entire being. Cersei Lannister could never be compared to Lyanna Stark. Gods, she had been a beautiful woman. At the time, Robert was too young to see past her enticing beauty. Only after her death did he truly know how strong, intelligent and willful she was. She was almost a force of nature, that woman. It did not matter how many other beds he would share, no other could ever be compared to her. He tried to love his wife and Queen, but he was never capable of loving such woman. "She was my sister. This is where she belongs." Eddard responded, observing the man as he contemplated the statue of his long lost love.

"She belonged with me." Robert argued, his eyes still watching over her. "In my dreams, I kill him every night."

"It's done, Your Grace. The Targaryens are gone." Eddard's heart tightened a little as he realized he had just lied to his best friend. Ned wished that he didn't have to lie to Robert but he knew that if he told him the truth about the Targaryen girl he kept underneath his roof, the man would have her head in a split second. Not only had Ned sworn to himself and Rhaella Targaryen that he would protect Elaena, he had also grown fond of that girl. She was almost like a daughter to him.

"Not all of them."

Eddard frowned, confused, and then feared the worst. "What do you mean?" Robert kept his eyes on Lyanna's statue, and Ned thanked him for that, because if he had turned around in that very moment, he would have witnessed the terror in his eyes.

"There are still two Targaryens alive." Robert clarified, whirling around to face his best friend, his voice laced with fury and pure hatred. "Viserys and Daenerys. It is said that they live in Pentos, across the Narrow Sea." The lord of Winterfell tried to disguise his immense preoccupation. How had he found out? The letters that Elaena received from her siblings were always sent from people worthy of their trust. One of them must have slipped that information, apparently. Ned only prayed that none of them had spilled enough information to compromise him, Elaena and his entire family. They would all be doomed.

"They are merely children, Robert. What happened to Lyanna was not their doing, and they mustn't pay for something that their father and brother did." Eddard countered, trying to get those words through that thick skull of his. "Who told you about their existence?"

"I was informed by Varys, the Master of Whisperers. The man claims to have many spies, or little birds, as he likes to call them, around the world. That eunuch Spider…"

"Viserys and Daenerys have been exiled. If they remain where they are, they will not pose a threat to the Seven Kingdoms."

"Then let us hope they stay where they are, Ned."

* * *

Elaena held two different dresses in both hands, comparing them in front of her mirror. One was a light shade of blue and the other was the color of gold. Elaena had discovered that those two colors were the ones that looked best on her. Her wardrobe consisted of blue, white, silver and golden dresses. Tonight, she was having trouble picking one for the feast.

Ignoring her current problem, she reached underneath her bed and pulled out the box with her two dragon eggs. She had almost become obsessed with them. She felt an undeniable connection with both of them, and while it scared her a little, it also amazed her. "Rhaegon, Visemon." Elaena had named both eggs because she was sure she felt their warmth, even though they appeared to have been turned to stone. To her, they were more than touched by time eggs. Her dragons were both waiting inside, wondering when she was going to bring them to life. She smiled as she touched the silvery egg and grabbed hold of the purplish one. They were both so beautiful.

A heavy knock on the door forced her to put them back inside the box. She hurried to hide the large object beneath her bed and grabbed the two dresses. "Come in!" She yelled, looking at her reflection in the mirror. The door opened to reveal Lady Catelyn. The older woman was already prepared for the feast. "Lady Catelyn, please, come in."

"How are you, my sweet girl?" Catelyn asked her, closing the door behind her. "Still haven't decided what to wear?"

"No. The feast is about to begin and I am going mad because of these two dresses." Elaena breathed out, clearly frustrated. Lady Catelyn laughed at her response, but her expression turned serious rather quickly. Elaena saw it through the mirror and frowned. The Stormborn girl quickly figured that there was something that Lady Catelyn knew, and it was either related to her or her siblings. "Is there something wrong, Lady Catelyn?"

"Elaena, I have already told you this a thousand times, you can call me Catelyn, or even Cat. There is no need for formalities between us." Catelyn told her, causing the girl to smile. It turned into a grimace when she saw how worried Catelyn's eyes appeared to be. The older woman sat down on her bed, and Elaena rushed to sit next to her, placing her hands over Catelyn's.

"Catelyn, what is wrong? Please, tell me. You are worrying me." Catelyn smiled sadly at the girl, turning sideways to really absorb her image. She had grown to become a beautiful young woman. Even though she was not her daughter by blood, Catelyn felt like she was.

"Oh, my sweet, sweet girl… I don't believe I have ever told you this before, but I am so proud of the young woman you have become." That was it. Elaena was officially worried now. Something terrible must have happened, for certain, and Catelyn wanted to sugarcoat it. "There are people that want nothing more than to destroy you and your siblings. Though they may have their reasons, they don't realize that you are not guilty of your father and older brother's sins." Elaena's purple eyes narrowed in distrust. Who was she talking about? She thought her secret was safe with the Starks. "King Robert has been told about your siblings. He knows where they live, but he does not seem to know about your existence. It was Varys, the Master of Whisperers from King's Landing, who informed him."

"How do you know this?"

"Robert spoke to Ned about it when they visited Lyanna Stark's tomb." Catelyn clarified, placing her aged hands over Elaena's fair ones. "Robert knows about their location, but he doesn't seem to know anything about you, Elaena. He was never good at hiding things from my husband. If he knew about you, Ned would know it by now and you wouldn't be here anymore."

"Does that mean I am safe for the time being?"

"You are anything but safe, my sweet girl. The King will believe Ned if he denies it, but don't be so sure about the Lannisters here. You mustn't trust them. Do not go anywhere near them alone. If you must, surround yourself with Robb, Theon or even Jon Snow. One of them will suffice, just don't walk alone. Jaime Lannister is already suspicious of you."

"How do you know he's suspicious?"

"Elaena, he came asking Ned all sorts of questions about you after my husband led King Robert to his chambers. That man is onto you, child."

"That man killed my father. Stabbed him in the back. He was meant to protect Aerys but betrayed him instead. He will end up finding physical similarities between us, it is unavoidable." Elaena looked at Catelyn with worried, anxious eyes. "He will find out the truth. I shouldn't be here, with you and your family. If people find out, they will have my head and they will blame you next. I don't want to be the reason that your lives are at risk, Cat. You are my family, but I don't want you to be in danger because of me."

Catelyn's eyes were watery as she looked at the younger girl. Without a warning, she pulled the silver-haired beauty into her tight embrace, keeping her there for brief moments. "I am not sure you get a vote in that matter." The red-haired woman muttered, causing Elaena to smile sadly. "And if we are your family as you say that we are, you should know by now that family always comes first, and family always stays together. We will not abandon you. We never did, and we never will, my sweet girl." Catelyn tucked a strand of silvery blonde hair behind Elaena's ear and suddenly got up from the bed, approaching the door. She turned around and eyed the Targaryen girl. "For the feast, you should wear the light blue dress. It is more discreet, and it is still as beautiful as the golden one."

Elaena gulped thickly, nodding at Catelyn. The older woman smiled weakly, exiting the bedroom. Elaena saw the door open and close, and then threw herself onto her bed, letting out an extremely frustrated gasp. She couldn't wait for the royal family to go back to King's Landing. Now that they were here, life was becoming even more complicated than it already was.

She then remembered that there was a feast she needed to attend to and quickly changed into the light blue dress, deciding she wouldn't touch her silvery hair anymore. She exited her chambers and went downstairs, stepping out of the house and into the courtyard instead of the feast. The music and the men's laughter were quite audible and it sort of gave life to that grim place, but that didn't make her feel any safer. A feast with Starks and Lannisters was rare, and it always carried a heavy atmosphere, since they weren't the best of friends.

She desired to get some fresh air before stepping into that mess of a party. That is when Elaena saw Jon Snow, taking out his evident frustration on the fencing dummy. Silently, she approached him. "Why aren't you at the feast, Jon?"

Her soft voice caused him to jump in surprise, which made the girl laugh at his reaction. "Lady Catelyn thought that my presence at the feast would offend our honorable guests." Jon responded, his voice laced with anger and sadness. No matter how much Elaena loved Catelyn, she was never capable of understanding her hatred for the poor boy. Noticing her growing silence, Jon decided to change the subject. "My Uncle Benjen has arrived, though."

"Do you still harbor that delirious idea of becoming a man of the Night's Watch, Jon?" Elaena asked, glancing around to check if there was anyone else watching them. The arrival of the royal family had made her somewhat paranoid.

"Yes, and it is not a delirious idea. It is what I want to do with my life."

"But you will not be able to take a wife or father any children, Jon. Do you realize what they would be asking you to give up?" Elaena inquired him, her tone was soft and understanding. They had always been good friends, and she would always tell him when she thought he was doing something foolish, or vice-versa. "You will not be able to have a family."

"I don't care about any of that. Besides, I'm barely a part of this family, Elaena." Jon countered, his expression suddenly turning sad. "I am a bastard."

"Ned always treated you like a true born son, Jon."

"Lady Catelyn didn't."

Elaena nodded, glancing down at her feet. Of course, this time he was right. "I know." Jon sighed deeply, his eyes darting away from her for a moment without her even realizing it. "But that is not your fault, my friend."

"You should go inside and enjoy the festivities." Jon said through gritted teeth. He wasn't looking at her anymore. Instead, he was looking at something, or rather someone, behind her. She glanced back and saw a dwarf with a cup in hands, barely stumbling towards them. He was heavily drunk, to say the least. That is when it hit her hard… that was the Queen's younger brother, Tyrion Lannister, who was also known as The Imp. She exchanged a look with Jon and remembered Lady Catelyn's warning, preparing herself to leave them both.

Elaena whirled around to greet the drunken little lord, bowing to him. "My lord." Since his vision was a tad blurry, it took him a moment to recognize the girl. Ah, yes, she was the ward of the Starks. What a beauty, he had thought to himself. She walked past him and he ceased the moment to grasp her arm rather gently, stopping her from moving further away. His hand slid down until it found hers. Since she was easily a lot taller than him, he didn't have to bow down to place a kiss on her pale hand.

"What is your name, girl?" Oh, he wasn't going to let her go now, that much she could already tell by the way he held her hand.

"Elaena."

"And your last name is?"

 _Targaryen_ , she thought, bitterly, for not being able to tell him who she truly was. Had Jaime told Tyrion about his suspicions of her? Elaena's heart started pounding insanely with the overwhelming fear of getting caught. "Well, since I was found in the woods when I was merely a babe, I would say I don't really have a last name, my lord. Those of the Free Folk do not really care about last names and titles." Oh, I am such a terrible liar, she thought to herself, scared of what his answer would be. I hope he believes it, though.

Jaime had certainly been right. Indeed there was something off about this girl. That silvery blonde hair and those purple eyes of hers… She was not who she claimed to be. It was too soon to tell, but Tyrion had plenty of time to judge her character and find out who Elaena truly was. This time, he was letting her go. "My lady, I realized I haven't introduced myself properly. I'm Lord Tyrion of House Lannister, but I can tell you already knew that."

"Yes, my lord. We don't get many dwarves around here, though it is nice to meet you." Elaena said with a playful smile tugged on her lips.

Tyrion Lannister chuckled at Elaena Targaryen's comment. "Likewise, Elaena. Likewise."

And with that, she left the dwarf and the bastard alone with each other. Before entering the building, Elaena threw Jon a concerned look but he nodded reassuringly at her. Reluctantly, she made her way into the great hall, finding that it was not so bad after all. People were enjoying themselves while eating, chatting and dancing with each others. King Robert had already left the high table to go join the people of Winterfell. His hands were currently grasping a servant girl's bottom while his lips took charge of her mouth, careless of what his wife thought about it. For a moment there, Elaena almost pitied Cersei. The Queen was sitting next to Lady Catelyn, and both women were watching the scene unfold with disgusted eyes.

After looking around, Elaena found Robb sitting with Theon, and she quickly made her way towards them.

Elaena's arm was forcefully pulled by a somewhat drunken Jaime Lannister. She frowned at him, while he smirked mischievously. "Excuse me." The Targaryen girl growled, trying to sound as polite as possible. Jaime let go of her arm but still stood in her way. She attempted to step around him, but once again he moved to block her passage. His eyes searched for her purple ones, and when he found them, he wasn't surprised to see a fire in them. It wasn't a pathetic and weak fire. Hers was powerful and dangerous, one to be truly feared, unlike her father's near the end.

"I am sorry, my lady, but I did not get your name." Jaime said, providing her a bland smile.

"Elaena." The girl spat out, obviously disliking his drunken actions.

"Elaena, the ward of the Starks. Ah, that's right." Jaime attempted to hide the fact that he didn't know her name already, when in truth, he had been trying to find everything he could about that girl. "I hear you are very skilled with a sword. Perhaps you and I could have a friendly combat one of these days."

"Yes, I am quite skilled, but not nearly as much as you are, Ser. It wouldn't be fair, I am afraid." Having that said, she smiled sweetly at Jaime and tried to move past him, but once again he stood in her way. Her blood began boiling with anger.

"Aye, that is true, but maybe I could teach you a few things."

"Thank you very much for the kind offer." She responded, her flaming eyes glaring daggers at him. "I will think about it. Now, if you will excuse me…"

She didn't give him enough time to reply since she sped off away from Jaime in the next second. The blond man kept his eyes on her slender silhouette as she approached Robb and Theon, who had been watching the scene with worried expressions. Robb sent Jaime a deadly look, and the older man laughed in his face, downing his drink all at once before stumbling away from the trio.

Elaena sat in the middle of the two boys and took a deep, shaky breath. "Gods, they're everywhere." She blurted out, rolling her eyes as she adjusted the skirts of her dress. "First, I was with Jon outside and Tyrion Lannister decided to grace us with his company. And now it was Ser Jaime. Who will follow? I wonder…"

"No one. Robb and I will not let them come near you." Theon replied, his eyes following the willowy body of a servant girl who winked provocatively at him. Elaena saw the exchange of glances and elbowed him immediately. "Hey, hey! What the hell was that for?"

"Will there ever come a day when you won't be thinking with your second head, Theon Greyjoy?" Elaena inquired, gesturing towards the servant girl that changed her course to walk past the three friends. Theon raised his empty glass and waited for her to come over to refill it, while Robb and Elaena evaluated his skills with women. Theon smirked smugly at the girl and she smiled politely. He gestured for her to come closer to him, and when she did, he began whispering things in her ear. Moments later, the girl was blushing relentlessly. Robb and Elaena exchanged a surprised look, and continued watching the scene with rather amusement. When the girl finally walked away from them, Robb and Elaena burst out laughing.

"So, did you get her?" Robb asked, watching as his friend leaned his head on Elaena's shoulder.

"You two can laugh all you want." Theon spat, his lustful eyes still following that servant girl. "Guess who will be getting a visit to his chambers tonight when you are all asleep?"

"I cannot believe the girl fell in your trap." Elaena commented, grasping Theon's cup to take a sip of wine. She smiled happily when she saw him rolling his eyes at her. Annoying him always gave her an indescribable satisfaction. "I wouldn't have fallen for that."

"Of course you wouldn't. You are not the kind of gal that likes to sleep around." Theon explained, downing his drink all at once. "You are just like someone else I know." At this, Theon wiggled his eyebrows towards Robb, who in return threw him a warning look. Suddenly, Theon rose up from his seat and declared "Well, since I plan on getting drunker than I already am, I am going to find that lovely girl. You two behave in my short absence, and don't drink too much." Elaena snorted at that.

"You're the one to talk!" Robb shot back, laughing as he watched his friend running after the pretty servant. His attention then turned to Elaena, whose violet eyes rested on the dance floor, a thoughtful look in them. All of a sudden, Robb jumped up from his seat as well and offered his hand for Elaena to take. "Do you care to dance with me, my lady?"

Her eyes traveled through his entire figure until they found his icy blue pair. She smirked, getting up as well. "Fine. Before we start dancing, though, I must warn you. I am an awful dancer."

"I have known you for years, Elaena. I know you are a terrible dancer. There is nothing you could say that would stop me from wanting to dance with you." Robb told her, grasping her hand to pull Elaena closer to him. She started blushing uncontrollably, and decided to look away from him.

"Well, when I start stomping on your feet, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Robb chuckled, pulling Elaena onto the dance floor with him. He placed his hand on her waist, bringing her as close to him as humanly possible. Her hand landed on his shoulder as she tried copying his movements, not wanting to actually step on his feet.

Not too far away from them, Elaena could still see King Robert groping that servant girl's ass with such ferocity and desire. It almost made her want to throw up. "I don't care if he is the King, Robb… He should at least respect his wife's presence." She ended up commenting with her dance partner.

Robb's eyes searched for the King, and undoubtedly there he was, holding the girl's body close to his. Elaena surely had a point. "I would never do that to my wife." Robb countered, his eyes landing on hers for a moment. They looked at each other for what felt like an eternity, until Elaena glanced away from him, disconcerted.

"That almost makes me feel sorry for the Queen." Elaena whispered as lowly as possible. Robb let out a snort, one that clearly meant 'that woman does not deserve your pity'.

When she turned to look at him again, he was closer to her than ever. Her nose brushed against his while her violet eyes flickered towards his lips for a split second, and then glanced back up at his icy blue orbs. Noticing this, Robb smirked, licking his hungry lips as his eyes went through the same trajectory. For a moment there, she almost thought he was going to kiss her. She found herself wanting him to kiss her. Panicking, she stomped on his foot, causing him to groan in pain and surprise. "Oh, Robb, I am so sorry!" She burst out laughing as she watched his pained and yet amused expression. "I am so sorry! I did warn you, though!"

Robb started laughing along with her. It was a very genuine laugh, she had noticed. "I'm sorry!" Elaena whispered again through uncontrolled laughter. When he recovered, they continued dancing as harmoniously as possible. The silver-haired beauty tried not to step on his foot again, but such task wasn't easy.

Both their heads snapped towards the high table when they heard a high-pitched scream. Robb started laughing madly when he noticed that Arya had thrown food at Sansa's face. The poor girl was having an immense fit, while her younger sister laughed mockingly at her. Robb's laugh was becoming quite audible, and Elaena had to punch him in the chest very lightly just to stop both him and herself from cackling obnoxiously at the scene. When Robb glanced at his mother, she sent him a warning look, and he immediately stopped snickering. The pair broke apart and Robb pulled Elaena to the side. "I am going to put Arya to sleep. Do not worry, it will not take too long. Find Theon and stay with him. Just don't be alone."

Elaena simply nodded at him, gulping nervously. Robb analyzed her expression and sighed, placing a soft kiss on her temple before leaving. She watched him abandoning the Great Hall with Arya trailing right behind him and then glanced around, her eyes searching for Theon. It took her a while to find her friend, but there he was, still talking to the servant girl. She was pouring him even more wine, causing Elaena to roll her eyes. She was beginning to make her way towards him when an unknown voice called out her name. She stopped and looked around, hearing her name being called again, and again. She found the source when she looked at the high table. The Queen was looking at her while Catelyn had a troubled expression on her face.

Elaena immediately became nervous at this. Cersei motioned at the girl, clearly telling her to come closer.

Oh, Gods, help me now, she thought, pacing towards the high table. Elaena offered the Queen a forced smile and glared at Catelyn with anxious eyes.

"Hello." The Queen greeted, her eyes studying the Targaryen girl rather carefully. "My, you are even more beautiful up close." Elaena smiled, silently thanking the Queen. "Lady Catelyn and I were just discussing how you grew up near her children." Cersei paused, smiling at the frown in the girl's face. "I told her how very close you appeared to be to her eldest son, Robb." The silver-haired girl narrowed her eyes dangerously. "It is so good to see young love."

"Your Grace, Robb and I are not involved romantically." Elaena explained, her throat suddenly becoming dry.

Catelyn and Elaena shared a strange look, one the girl chose to ignore. It was not an intimidating glare, it was… simply strange. It was as if Catelyn knew something that Elaena didn't. Cersei seemed to ponder about her words, clearly not believing what she said. "Perhaps I have misinterpreted it, then. My apologies." She smiled a very fake smile. Her eyes then shifted towards what Elaena was wearing. "Your dress truly is one of a kind; very discreet and yet so very beautiful. Did you make it?"

"No, Your Grace. I am not skilled when it comes to sewing." Elaena admitted.

"I hear you are very skilled with a sword, though. Is it true?" The Queen inquired.

"That I am, Your Grace."

"Surely it is good to know how to defend yourself." Cersei commented, raising her eyebrows at her. "Though it is rare to find a young lady with such… skills."

"Yes, it is, Your Grace." Elaena replied, becoming more and more defensive. The Queen made her feel so uneasy. Cersei definitely looked like the woman who could snap your neck in a split second if she so much desired. She was not to be played with, that much Elaena could already tell. "Though, I do have to say, even when you know how to defend yourself, there is no way you can foresee how or when you are going to be defeated."

Lady Catelyn sent her a warning look, and Elaena bit her tongue, smiling innocently towards the Queen. The blonde woman returned the fake smile, narrowing her eyes. "That is true, my dear."

The Targaryen girl smiled once again and bowed to the Queen, preparing herself to leave the high table. The moment she turned around, she saw Robb reentering the Great Hall. His eyes found hers, and they began walking towards each other, never once looking away. Her nails began digging painful holes in her palms, but she did not care about it. She just needed to get out of there as swiftly as possible.

When he finally reached her, Robb grasped her wrist and pulled her away with him. He could tell she was overwhelmed and needed to get out of there quickly. They passed through hallways and corridors until they reached the courtyard, where there was absolutely no one. The fencing dummy that Jon had been so ferociously tearing apart was still there, but there was no sign of the bastard or of the dwarf. Elaena finally let out the breath she didn't realize she had been sustaining, her voice becoming shaky and careworn. "They are all onto me. Cersei, Jaime, Tyrion… They are all suspicious of me, Robb." She said in a hushed tone. "They are going to find out, sooner or later, and I am going to be executed. Your family will be accused of treason, because of me! I shouldn't be here, I should be with my brother and sister. At least I wouldn't be putting you all in danger!"

Robb placed a hand on her waist and brought her closer to him, causing her to stop babbling about her suspicions and preoccupations. She held her breath and waited for what he was going to do next. The boy sighed and pulled her into a tight hug, one she clearly did not expect. His strong arms were wrapped around her waist while hers surrounded his neck. They stood there, tangled in each other's arms, for a very long time. "I hate to see you so worked up about this." Robb finally murmured. "I wouldn't have it any other way, though. I am glad you're here, with us, with me, instead of with them. I know it sounds selfish, but–"

"I am happy that I am here as well." Elaena interrupted, freeing herself from his tight embrace. Her face turned very serious in the next moment, as she realized something. She could truly trust Robb. She could trust Jon and Theon too, but it was not in the same way. He made her feel safe, even when she was surrounded by hungry lions, and he did everything he could to make her feel better. She hadn't realized that until now, for whatever reason. "Robb?"

"Yes?"

"There is something I really need to show you."


	5. The Deep Descent

Ah, there it was.

The incredulous look on Robb's face as he held the silvery egg in his own hands was incalculable. Elaena still wondered how she had gathered enough courage to share something as important as that with him. She was glad that she had done it, because Robb was one of the few people she truly trusted. Yet, his expression was a mixture of wonder and diffidence, and it worried her immensely. They had spent five minutes in silence as Robb analyzed the egg with cautious eyes. "Please, say something." _Don't make me regret having shown you my eggs_ , she thought, already fearing the worst. Robb swallowed hard, as his eyes danced from one egg to another. "Robb?"

The Stark boy coughed, clearing his throat. His mouth was agape, but no words poured out. Her heart was beginning to pound now. What could possibly be running through that mind of his? She was a Targaryen, what would he expect? The eggs belonged to her. She had created such a connection with the dragon eggs from the moment she laid her eyes on them; it was wonderful and strange at the same time. She wanted to protect them at all costs, as they were hers and she was theirs. "Robb." She called again, her voice faltering slightly. "Please."

Slowly, the boy placed the egg back inside the box and finally glanced at her. She looked so worried, and there was absolutely no need for it. He was going to keep her secret, of course. He was pleased that she had trusted him enough to show him something so significant, so important to her. "They are… _beautiful_." He said at last. Elaena's troubled expression eased into a calmer one, as she waited for what else he had to say. "How long have you had them?"

"Not long. Only days before the royal family arrived." Elaena responded, smiling down at her beloved eggs. "They were given to me, but… I feel like I was always meant to have them, and they were always meant to have me."

"They are just stone now." Robb pointed out.

"I know." Elaena nodded with her head, saddened by his statement. "But I cannot shake this feeling that… they are alive, still. I know it sounds daft, but…" She trailed off, studying his stunned gaze as he eyed the eggs one more time. "I feel them, Robb. I truly do."

"Your family has always been connected to dragons. They have always shared bonds with them. Perhaps this is one of those times." Robb countered, attempting to reason with her. "Is it possible that you… could make them hatch somehow?"

"I do not know. It is strange because many Targaryens have tried to hatch dragon eggs before and they failed miserably at it. Some of them even got burned alive, all for nothing." Elaena explained, her fingertips touching the purplish egg. "It is a question for which I have no answer… _yet_." She suddenly yawned, covering her mouth with her fair hand. She was getting tired and needed to rest. Robb appeared to be in a daze, still not quite believing that Elaena owned those two relics.

In a way, Robb could comprehend the connection she shared with the dragon eggs. Grey Wind became his from the moment he claimed him. He was loyal only to him, he obeyed only to him, and he belonged only to him. The creature would hardly sympathize with others, and it was Robb who he followed nevertheless. There was something about her that truly made him wonder if she could bring them to life, as impossible as it seemed.

His eyes landed on her then. She appeared to be so exhausted, so tired, and so worried. It was not his reaction to her secret that was troubling her anymore; the current situation that she found herself in was. If King Robert, Queen Cersei, Jaime or Tyrion Lannister found out, Elaena and the Starks would be doomed. The mere thought of losing Elaena terrified him, and he had never felt more vulnerable in his entire life. "You should rest now." Robb finally uttered, his eyes now ravaging her. She nodded tiredly and closed the box, placing it beneath her bed once again. "It is getting late and you are clearly exhausted. I will leave you so you can rest." He paused, thinking carefully. "Thank you."

"For what?" The purple eyed beauty asked, frowning in confusion.

"For trusting me with this knowledge." Robb answered. "I will take your secret to the grave if needed be. You have my word, Elaena."

Robb rose from her bed and approached the door to abandon her chambers. While his mind was telling him to leave, his heart and body wanted to stay there, with her. Elaena's violet eyes followed his every move and studied every piece of him, until they found his icy blue pair of orbs. She smiled gratefully, and he nodded at her before opening and closing the door. She had wanted to ask him to spend the night there, with her, but she had excluded that option when she thought about what Lady Catelyn would think of it if she found out. The way she looked at her when Queen Cersei asked Elaena about her apparent relationship with Robb was intriguing, and the Targaryen girl couldn't help but think about what it truly meant. There was something more to it, and yet it wasn't disapproval.

* * *

"Do you love Robb?"

Elaena rolled her eyes once again. Sansa had been pestering the silver-haired beauty the entire morning about her older brother, and she wasn't about to stop any time soon. Even Arya rolled her eyes this time. "Would you please shut up about it? She already said 'no' a dozen times!" Arya snapped at her older sister, who simply ignored her annoyed expression.

"She is lying." Sansa shot back, placing her hands over Elaena's, a devious smile playing on her pink lips. "Tell me the truth."

"Shouldn't you be sewing your dress instead of asking me these questions? Your Mother said I was supposed to look after you two while she took care of some business within the First Keep, but you are making my job a lot harder." Elaena placed her book down on the bed and glared sternly at Sansa, hoping she would get the message and keep quiet. Fortunately, the red-haired girl seemed to drop the subject for now. Even if Elaena denied it, it was evident to almost everyone that she adored Robb. Robb was not subtle about it either, though. What bothered Sansa the most was the fact that neither of them seemed to be able to admit it to one another. In Sansa's eyes, they had been in love with each other ever since they were children, and it frustrated her to no end that they were not together.

"I hate sewing." Arya complained, groaning in despair.

"So do I, my dear." Elaena chuckled lightly. "When I was your age, your Mother used to force me to do it as well, yet I was terrible at it." Sansa yawned, shaking her head in disapproval. "I still am."

"I wish Mother would let me learn how to wield a sword."

"Ladies are not supposed to shoot arrows or fight with swords." Sansa commented, never tearing her eyes away from the dress she was sewing.

"That's a good thing, because I don't want to be a lady at all." Arya growled, rolling her eyes at her older sister. Sansa sighed internally and ignored her.

"Girls." Elaena warned, sending them both a threatening look. Sansa and Arya groaned, irritated with each other.

As much as she adored those two girls, Elaena hated it when they argued. Sansa had always aspired to become a respectable Lady of the North. She had always looked up to Lady Catelyn and even Elaena, whereas Arya only wanted to do things that girls of her age should not be doing at all. She was a strange, wild girl, but Elaena could see a bit of herself in Arya during her younger years. Later on, she was forced to learn how to act like a true, proper lady, but she never stopped practicing with her sword. Lady Catelyn still tried to stop her, but Elaena was too stubborn and didn't give in.

"What do you think of Prince Joffrey, Elaena?" Sansa suddenly inquired, taking the Stormborn girl by surprise.

Elaena coughed and forced a smile, a very sour one. "Prince Joffrey? Well, he seems… he is very… he seems like a pleasant boy." She stuttered, noticing the growing smirk on Arya's face. The younger girl knew exactly why Elaena couldn't come up with something nice to say about him. One look at him was enough to know who and what he truly was. Unfortunately, Sansa couldn't see past his handsomeness, and the Targaryen girl couldn't quite understand why.

"He is so handsome!" Sansa gushed, ignoring her younger sister's gagging noise. "Do you think he will like me?"

"I cannot see why he wouldn't." Elaena replied, not sure of what else to say. Granted, Sansa was a very pretty girl, what with those bright blue eyes and flaming red locks of hers. Even so, the young girl was still very naïve and candid, while Joffrey definitely had a pompous, condescending, idiotic look to him. "In addition, you are a beautiful girl, Sansa."

"I cannot wait to marry him!"

"You haven't even spoken to him yet!" Arya protested, clearly enraged by her sister's swift infatuation.

Before Sansa could respond, Elaena realized that it was time to intervene so it wouldn't turn ugly again. She glared at Arya severely and narrowed her violet eyes. "That is enough, Arya." The younger girl wanted to argue with her, but Elaena was intimidating when she looked angry. Arya wisely chose to quiet herself and observed the silver-haired girl as she turned sideways to look at Sansa. "There is nothing I can really tell you about him, Sansa. I have not spoken to the boy yet, but I advise you to be extremely careful around him. You might be in for a surprise."

"What do you mean?" Sansa frowned, confused and obviously clueless. Every Lannister was dangerous. Joffrey may be Baratheon as well, but it seemed that he had taken after his mother in more ways than one. "Why do you say that?"

How was Elaena going to answer Sansa's question without breaking her heart? "People are never what they seem, sweetheart."

The door of Elaena's chambers opened suddenly to reveal Lady Catelyn, a preoccupied expression gracing her aged features. The girls ceased their conversation and glanced over at the older woman. "Is everything alright, Catelyn?" Elaena inquired immediately, jumping up from her bed to approach the Lady of Winterfell quite worriedly.

"How are the girls behaving, Ella?" Lady Catelyn asked, ignoring Elaena's question instead of answering it.

The Targaryen girl glanced over at the other two and smiled widely. "They are quite well-behaved today, for a change." She responded, causing Lady Catelyn to laugh lightly. She knew that it was a lie, of course. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Lady Catelyn glanced over at her two daughters and pulled Elaena to the side, beginning to speak in whispers. "I am starting to worry about my son, Bran. Ned and the boys haven't returned from the hunting party with King Robert yet, and I have not seen him since they have left. I took a break to search for him, but with the royal family in Winterfell, there are many things that require my attention around the castle. I hate to ask this out of you, since I have already asked you to keep the girls some company, but–"

"I will search for Bran, Catelyn. You do not have to worry." Elaena interrupted, her fair hand landing on the older woman's shoulder. She smiled reassuringly, but Catelyn only gave out an unsure grimace. "But what about Sansa and Arya?"

"I will find their Septa." Lady Catelyn sighed deeply. "I asked you to keep them company because I know that they prefer yours over hers a thousand times more." Elaena's violet eyes lit up and she smiled at the two girls with tenderness. "Sansa, Arya, come with me. I will go find your Septa to keep you some company."

"Why?" Sansa immediately asked.

"Where is Elaena going?" Arya questioned, groaning in irritation. She could hardly tolerate Septa Mordane. Gods, how she loathed that old hag!

"There are some things that Elaena needs to take care of, girls." Catelyn lied. The younger girl rolled her eyes, while Sansa limited herself to do what she was told. She packed the sewing kit and grabbed the dress she was sewing, walking towards the door with Arya trailing behind her with the most unpleasant expression on her face. Lady Catelyn's sad smile didn't go unnoticed as she watched the girls leaving Elaena's chambers.

"Something else is bothering you." Catelyn's smile vanished from her face and she sighed again. Elaena was smart, perhaps even too smart for her own good. She had always been quite attentive to those surrounding her, and nothing seemed to get past her.

Unsure of what to say, Catelyn shook her head in denial. "No, my sweet girl. Do not worry about me, worry about yourself." Elaena nodded, understanding exactly what she meant by that. Even so, she knew that the woman was also trying to change the subject. The Targaryen girl sensed that the King's visit wasn't meaningless. Robert hadn't traveled all that far only to pay a visit to his old friend; it was obvious that he wanted Lord Eddard to be the new Hand of the King. "Now you must go. I am truly worried about Bran. Neither him or his direwolf, Summer, have been seen in the past few hours."

"I'm onto it, Catelyn." Elaena pulled on her baby blue cloak and fiddled with the crisscrossed straps, preparing herself to leave. "I will find him."

"Winterfell is filled with Lannisters. You have to be careful, my sweet girl." The two distinct women exited Elaena's chambers and, before the purple eyed beauty made her leave, Catelyn grasped her arm rather gently. "No one needs to know that Bran is missing." The girl nodded tightly, prepared to leave, but Catelyn still had a hold on her arm. Elaena frowned in confusion. "When you come back, we must talk."

Catelyn had once again that strange look on her face. It was quite similar to the one she sent her when Queen Cersei asked Elaena about her apparent relationship with Robb Stark. She tried not to think too much about it, but truth be told, it made her feel uneasy and curious at the same time.

With it in mind, Elaena left in the opposite direction, ready to find the little lord.

* * *

Elaena had already searched for Bran Stark everywhere and anywhere, but the boy was nowhere to be found. Lord Eddard, Robb and Theon were still out there with King Robert in the hunting party, and Jon Snow had been practicing with his sword in the courtyard. Elaena was running out of places to search for Bran. She had been to the North Gate, the Glass Garden, the Godswood, the Armory, the Great Keep, the Maester's Turret, the kennels, the stables, the First Keep, the crypts, the Bell Tower, the Library Tower, the East Gate, the Hunter's Gate and finally the courtyard, all of that in the past two hours. There was no sign of the boy! She had seen Rickon playing with Shaggydog in the courtyard with Jon, but Bran and Summer weren't anywhere near them. She was worried sick now, and she couldn't stop walking in circles, thinking hard about the places she hadn't visited yet. There was only one place left, she remembered.

The Broken Tower.

Desperate to find the young lord, Elaena sped off in the direction of the edifice. She was only halfway out of the courtyard when she was stopped by one of the Lannisters. She clenched her fists and her face reddened with anger when she saw that it was Joffrey Baratheon. Could her day become any worse?

The answer was _yes_.

The young lion sauntered towards the silver-haired beauty and stopped right in front of her, preventing her from continuing her search. "What is your name, girl?"

 _Girl? I will show you who the girl in here is!_ Elaena thought with disdain. "My name is Elaena, _my prince_."

"You are one of the two wards that the Starks possess, correct?" There was a strange glint in his eyes, and Elaena felt herself becoming more and more unnerved by his undesired presence.

"Aye, I am. What about it?" Elaena inquired, arching a delicate eyebrow in distrust.

"You are much more… _tolerable_ , than that Greyjoy cunt."

"My prince." Elaena warned perilously, narrowing her violet eyes at him. "Please, do not speak ill of my friend."

"You consider him your friend?"

"Aye, I do. A very close one."

Joffrey offered her an evil smirk, but instead changed the subject. "I hear you were found in the woods of Winterfell during a fight between Northerners and Wildlings." The prick prince pointed out, his tone laced with mockery and slyness. Gods, how she wanted to slap that stupid face of his! "You were the daughter of a spearwife, which makes you a wildling as well."

"Yes, I was, and now I have been raised to become a lady. Isn't life a mysterious little thing?" Elaena spat, trying to control her anger but failing miserably.

"Indeed it is." Joffrey agreed abruptly, obviously disliking the tone she used to address him. "It is hard to believe you are the daughter of a wildling woman."

"It is? How so?"

"You look nothing like the wildlings I have heard about." Joffrey said with disgust, his morbid eyes softening mildly when they landed on the curves of her body. She was petite, but very slim and appealing. Joffrey had to give her that; she was a pretty little thing. It was no surprise that the Stark boy couldn't stop chasing after the bitch.

"I will take that as a compliment, my prince." Elaena growled, forcing herself to smile at him. "Now, if you will excuse me, there are many other things that require my attention."

Elaena didn't offer him enough time to form a reply, because she sped off again, and this time nothing stopped her. She was desperate and furious, hopeless and enraged. That stupid prince was going to get it one of these days. If he ever laid a hand on Sansa, Elaena would kill him, oh she would. He carried himself like he owned everything and everyone, but he would someday learn otherwise, if it depended on her.

Elaena's heart nearly stopped beating when she saw a small body lying on the grass that surrounded the Broken Tower, hopefully unconscious and not dead, while a young direwolf howled in pure affliction. She sprinted towards them, and as she got closer, she began realizing that the unconscious body was Bran's. Summer saw an approaching silhouette and placed himself in front of his master, growling at her. She raised her hands in surrender and slowed down completely, her violet eyes filling themselves with tears. Summer quickly recognized the girl and moved away, allowing Elaena to bend down next to the little lord. His eyes were shut, and there was blood everywhere. A lot of blood! "Bran!" Elaena called, her voice faltering slightly. "Bran!" Her hands touched his broken body rather carefully and she leaned her head on his chest. His heart was barely beating. He was barely alive. "Bran, please! Please, please! Bran!" She turned towards Summer and said between uncontrolled cries: "Go get Maester Luwin! Go! Quickly! Go, Summer, go!"

The young direwolf sped off in the opposite direction, while Elaena pulled Bran carefully into her lap. There was blood everywhere, and she couldn't stop wailing. It hardly felt real, and she hardly paid any attention when she felt someone tearing the little boy away from her tight embrace, a pair of hands grasping her shoulders to pull her up to her feet. Her eyes followed the boy as Maester Luwin and two guards placed him on a stretcher and took him away from her.

Her tears were dry now, and her mouth was agape. "Catelyn, Catelyn…" She murmured, her voice raspy and hoarse from crying. "I need to tell her. I have to tell Catelyn, she has to know…"

Two hands grasped her face gently and forced her to stay still. When her violet eyes finally settled on the person in front of her, she saw that it was Jaime Lannister who cupped her face between his two smooth hands. "Lady Catelyn will be informed immediately. You have to calm down now, Elaena. Calm down, calm down. You mustn't let your family see you like this! You have to be strong for them!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Elaena snapped at him, slapping his hands away from her face. "Leave me be!"

Jaime seemed genuinely offended, but brushed it away rather quickly. "I heard the commotion from afar. I came to see what it was and I found you like this. Then, the Maester came running with two guards trailing behind him." Her violet eyes sparkled with new tears, and she seemed ready to start crying again.

Jaime didn't know what to make of her. It was a miracle that she didn't come sooner to find out that he had been the one pushing Bran off the window. Cersei left as soon as it happened, but Elaena's screams forced Jaime to stay back and pretend that he didn't know what was happening. _The things I do for love_ , he thought to himself, watching the Targaryen girl as she attempted to pull herself back together. She was fierce, and strong. Jaime could see that in her. The more time he spent in her company, the surer he was that there was something more to her than it met the eye. Right now, she was a complete mess, but even then, there was a fire in her purple eyes that didn't seem to go out for nothing in this world. She was in shock, but she wasn't damaged. At least not yet. He enjoyed her, despite his suspicions of her. If she really was who he thought her to be, then it would be a shame to put an end to her life, but it would be a necessary evil.

"What are you still doing here?" She asked, her tone arrogant and demanding. "I will be fine, you don't have to stay. You can leave, Ser."

"I am trying to help you." Jaime replied. Elaena snorted, rolling her eyes at him. "What? Is that so hard to believe?"

"Why would you want to help _me_?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Elaena became quiet, then. She sighed and nodded, ignoring the fact that Jaime was the man who betrayed and murdered her father, Aerys. Instead, she allowed him to escort her back to the Great Keep. Her hands were shaky and covered in blood, and her dress and cloak were stained as well. She felt like breaking down once again. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty. If she had been faster, she might have been able to avoid his fall. She could have stopped Bran. She could have done something about it.

Elaena whirled around and nodded with her head. "Thank you, Ser." She seemed much calmer and more collected than before. "I apologize for my… _arrogance_."

"Do not worry about that. It was completely understandable." Jaime said. "Now remember: you must be strong for them, for your family."

Elaena smiled her first honest smile at Jaime Lannister and entered the Keep, climbing the stairs to march towards her chambers. She needed to clear her head, she needed to get cleaned up, and she definitely needed to see Robb. She desired his comfort, and she wanted to comfort him as well. He was going to be devastated when he heard the news about his little brother falling from the Broken Tower. It seemed strange, though. Bran had always been a skilled climber, ever since he was a child, and he had never gotten hurt like that. Elaena tried not to think too much about it. She changed clothes and washed her bloody hands, preparing herself to offer comfort to those she loved the most; her family. From now on, she needed to be the strong one, the one with whom they could always count on. She had to be strong for them.

She exited her chambers and continued down the hall until she found Arya, Sansa and Rickon waiting outside the room where Maester Luwin had taken Bran to. Sansa's cheeks were pale and stained with tears, and so were Rickon's and Arya's. As soon as they saw Elaena coming towards them, Arya jumped up and threw herself into the older girl's arms, letting her weakness show. "Maester Luwin told us you were the one who found Bran like that." Arya murmured, her eyes wide and her face pale.

"I am so sorry you had to see him like that." Sansa said, a sad frown gracing her young and beautiful features.

"How long have they been holed up in there?" Elaena inquired, sitting down with the three Stark children. Rickon sat on Elaena's lap and buried his face in the crook of her neck while she played with his curly hair. For the first time, Sansa and Arya sat down next to each other and didn't start bickering. They were too frightened to do anything.

"Two hours, maybe more." Sansa responded.

"And your Mother?" Elaena asked, her voice faltering a little.

"Mother already knows. She is inside with Maester Luwin as well."

"You shouldn't be here." Elaena said after a moment of silence between them all.

"Why not? He is our brother!" Rickon exclaimed, his eyes reddish from all the crying. He was very tired and revolted with the entire situation.

"Exactly, Bran is your brother, Rickon, and that is why you shouldn't see him like that."

"Because if he dies, that will be the last memory we have of him." Arya finished with bitterness evident in her voice. "Is that what you mean, Elaena?" Elaena remained silent for a few moments. She didn't want to admit it, but Arya had voiced exactly what she had been thinking.

"He will not die. Bran is a tough one. He will live through this."

* * *

"Maester Luwin told me you were the one who found him."

"I was."

"I am so sorry, Elaena. I wish it had been different." Robb murmured, his arms pulling her as close to him as possible. She buried her face in his chest and tried not to cry again, but such task was difficult to accomplish. "He is strong. Maester Luwin said that he will live through this." The Stark boy paused, thinking minutely. "But he will never be able to walk again."

Elaena suddenly jumped away from him, her violet eyes wide in surprise. "What?"

"It's a miracle he's even alive, the Maester said. A normal person would have died falling from a height like that." Robb commented. "Bran is a lucky one. I'm glad he's even alive, Elaena."

"I am too, believe me, but Bran won't think so when he wakes up, Robb." Elaena said with evident sadness. "He will never walk again. He will be a cripple."

"I know."

Elaena gulped, glancing down nervously. "I can't help but feel guilty, you know?" Robb arched an eyebrow and placed his hand over hers. "Your Mother asked me to search for him because he had gone missing that day, and I just keep thinking… If I had been faster, if I had found him earlier… maybe I would have been able to stop this."

"It is _not_ your fault, Elaena." Robb immediately assured her. "You know how Bran is. He is too stubborn and he wouldn't have listened to you if you told him to stop."

"Aye! That is true, but–"

"No more. It was not your fault." The silver-haired beauty sighed, nodding at last. "What I find strange is how he fell." Robb suddenly said, his hand brushing her cheek rather gently. Elaena became quiet and listened carefully. "Bran knows how to climb like a squirrel. He never fell, he never even got hurt…"

"What are you implying, Robb?"

"Nothing, _yet_." Robb mumbled, his icy blue eyes focusing on her violet ones for a few moments before descending to her pink lips. Gods, how he wanted to kiss her then! She was so beautiful, even more under the moonlight. They were completely alone, watching the stars. The royal family was going to return to King's Landing in a couple of days, but nothing would ever be the same for any of them. Ned was leaving too, as he was to become the Hand of the King. Lord Stark was going to take Sansa and Arya with him, and he was leaving Robb, Bran, Theon and Elaena with Lady Catelyn. Jon Snow was finally going to take the black, since Catelyn wasn't going to tolerate him anymore, especially now that her husband was leaving Winterfell to become the Hand of the King. His father, his sisters and his half-brother were leaving him. Robb felt suddenly lost.

"You don't think that…"

"What?"

Elaena paused, choosing her words rather carefully. "It is like you said, Robb. Bran has always been a climber. He wouldn't just… _fall_." Robb nodded in agreement, knowing exactly where she was taking the conversation. "Maybe… he was pushed."

"I have been thinking about that possibility." Robb confessed, his icy blue eyes studying her expression with intensity.

Elaena shrugged it and twirled around, her arms hugging her sides. The air of the North was turning colder than ever. The girl definitely had a hotter temperature than most people, but the cold still bothered her. Her neck shivered completely when she felt Robb's hot breath brushing against her fair skin. He could tell she was cold. His arms suddenly wrapped around her waist and his chin rested on her shoulder. Neither of them was able to admit it, but the feeling was comforting and very much welcome. A shiver ran down her spine and ended up settling in a very specific part of her body, making her blush at the meaning of it. The only times she ever felt like this before were when Robb was near her. He was the only man who could make her feel that way.

"I can't wait for the Lannisters to leave." Elaena whispered. "Every day that goes by, I feel that Jaime is closer to finding the truth about me."

"If I didn't know any better, I would say the Kingslayer had taken a liking to you."

Elaena scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that you were jealous."

Robb forced her to turn around so that they were facing each other. "So what if I was?"

"Are you?"

"Jealous of him? No." Robb said simply. For a moment there, Elaena almost thought he was going to admit it to her. "Because I know that he means nothing to you."

"What if he meant something?"

"Does he?"

"Of course not!" Elaena exclaimed, disgust written all over her beautiful face. "How could I ever feeling anything for that man, other than hatred?"

Robb looked down at their feet and noticed how close Elaena was to him now. In that moment, he decided it was safer to put some distance between them or he would lose his self-control and kiss the hell out of her. "It doesn't matter, because he is leaving soon."

Elaena noticed the gesture and felt somewhat disappointed. One moment, he seemed ready to confess how he felt about her, and in the other, he was distancing himself from her. What sort of game was Robb Stark playing with Elaena Targaryen?


	6. Ice and Fire

How could this have happened to her son? Catelyn would have traded Jon Snow's worthless life for Bran's any other day, but the Gods seemed to have chosen her sweet son instead of the bastard. It was not fair to any of them. Jon Snow had never done anything to her to deserve such hatred; he only had to be born out of some other woman's womb. Catelyn loathed herself for never being able to show him even a little bit of kindness, but some other part of her wanted that boy dead and gone. Catelyn could never truly hate Ned for what he had done to her, and she tried! Instead, her hatred was directed towards the poor bastard, who was not to blame in any way. _It should have been Jon instead of Bran_ , she thought with bitterness. Now, her young boy was lying on a bed, his life hanging on a thread.

A heavy knock on the door dragged the Lady of Winterfell out of her dark thoughts. Days had already gone by, and Bran still hadn't woken up. Maester Luwin had prepared the woman for the inevitable fact that the little boy would never be capable of walking again. Her heart had shattered into a million pieces, not only because of her dear son, but also because of her husband, who was leaving Winterfell the following day. Catelyn took a deep breath and glared at the door, noticing that it was only Elaena. "How is Bran?" The girl asked fearfully, closing the door behind her. She approached the woman with caution. "How are you, Catelyn?"

"The same." Her cold voice responded.

Elaena had never seen the woman like that in any other circumstance. Catelyn was broken, absolutely broken. It hurt her immensely to watch the scene between the mother and her child. Lady Catelyn had only left the room once or twice to take care of herself. Robb had temporarily taken over some of her duties, allowing the woman some peace with her son. Elaena wanted to cry, once more. Bran was going to live, but still it broke her heart that he would never walk again. The Stormborn girl approached the bed and bent down, her warm hands touching his cold ones. _Fire touching ice_ , she thought with sorrow. "Bran." Her voice was barely a whisper. Catelyn observed her with curiosity. "Bran. You have to wake up, little one. Your life will become complicated from now on, but you cannot give up. Life is a precious thing, and we are all here for you." A sad tear rolled down her cheek. "When you wake up, I have something wonderful to show you. You will love it, I know so."

Dismissing the subject, Catelyn's cold eyes focused on Elaena. "Before you left to search for Bran, that day… that _horrible_ day, there was something I needed to discuss with you."

"I remember." The red-haired woman sighed, looking down. "Catelyn, whatever it is, you don't have to say it now." Elaena uttered, her voice uncertain and insecure.

"No." Catelyn replied, her tone demanding and aggressive. "I will not be leaving this room for a while, so it must be said now." The silver-haired girl frowned and nodded anxiously. Lady Stark pulled out a small parchment from her pocket and unrolled it, handing it to Elaena. "Ned did not know if we should show it to you. Queen Rhaella, your mother, wrote it to him."

Elaena analyzed the parchment and gasped. She glanced at Catelyn, unsure, and the woman sent her an assertive look. The Targaryen girl sunk down on the bed and began reading the letter in a low voice. " _Lord Stark, your sister Lyanna promised me that peace would be ensured if my son Rhaegar returned her safely to the Usurper Baratheon, but now they are both dead, and I am going to join them very soon_." Elaena paused, her violet eyes filling themselves with tears. " _I do not condemn you, my lord, I only ask this favor out of you: marry your eldest son to my first daughter, Elaena. My other children are being sent away, but I need to know that at least one will be raised with honor, and married to an honorable man_." Elaena's body completely froze and her tears became dry. "What is the meaning of this?"

"That is your mother's last wish." Catelyn responded, her cold expression suddenly turning into a warm, understanding one. "She wanted you to marry our oldest son."

"Robb."

Catelyn nodded, glancing down at her restless hands. Eddard was a man with honor, and he had promised Rhaella and himself that he would welcome the Stormborn girl into his house and always protect her. Lord Stark had kept this promise, but he wasn't sure about one thing only: marrying his eldest son to Elaena Targaryen. "The idea does not please you." Catelyn stated in a questioning way, trying to understand the girl.

"That is not what matters here–"

"I have seen the way that my son looks at you." Lady Stark interrupted her. "I have seen the way that you look at him. Perhaps it is too soon to talk about marriage, but that was your mother's last wish. I know that the idea pleases you very much, do not try to hide it, but you have never thought about it coming true. Neither has Robb; he was raised thinking that he was meant to marry a highborn lady from an important House to strengthen our own, the option of marrying you always off the table. Ned and I have discussed it over the years and we have finally made a decision." Elaena remained silent, listening carefully. Her heart was pounding wildly, and her mouth was dry. She wondered if Robb already knew about it.

"What decision have you made, then?"

"You will marry my son Robb and you will soon become the Lady of Winterfell, my sweet girl."

Elaena frowned deeply, trying to find words to describe the immense confusion that was her head at the moment. Of course, the offer pleased her very much, but what if Robb didn't agree to it? What if he didn't accept her? She didn't want to marry him knowing that he was against it. "What if I am not good at being _the_ Lady of Winterfell? All these duties, I just–"

"You will learn, like I have." Catelyn assured her. "I will help you."

* * *

" _Lord Stark, your sister Lyanna promised me that peace would be ensured if my son Rhaegar returned her safely to the Usurper Baratheon, but now they are both dead, and I am going to join them very soon_. _I do not condemn you, my lord, I only ask this favor out of you: marry your eldest son to my first daughter, Elaena. My other children are being sent away, but I need to know that at least one will be raised with honor, and married to an honorable man. The blood of Old Valyria runs through her veins. She is now yours to look after and protect, Eddard. Do not send her away, I beg of you. This peace will not last long, mark my words. Elaena may just be your last hope when everything is lost. Winter is coming, but you will have Fire to protect you_." Elaena kept replaying those words in her head, trying to interiorize the fact that she was going to marry Robb Stark, the future Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. She swung her sword at the fencing dummy once again and ignored the begging looks she received from Robb, Jon and Theon as they watched her taking out all of her frustration on the object ahead of her.

Robb was getting truly worried about her. She had been practicing alone for almost three hours and didn't listen to any of them when they advised her to stop for a little while. Robb wanted to help her, but he didn't even know how. Something was obviously troubling her. What it was he didn't know, and it made him feel utterly powerless.

When she finally managed to completely destroy the last fencing dummy, Elaena whirled around and didn't even dare to look at any of them. Jon Snow would be leaving soon, and he hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to her yet. Theon Greyjoy was also concerned about her. Elaena had always been a talkative one, but now… she seemed to be isolating herself from her closest friends. Whatever it was, it was bad enough to make her act like that. Her violet eyes glanced around the courtyard until they found the Kingslayer's green pair staring right back at them. The man had been watching her as well, an amused smirk gracing his thin lips.

"Impressive." Jaime Lannister complimented, sauntering closer to her. Her hold around the sword grew tighter, and her blood started boiling with anger almost instantly. "I thought I would not have the chance to see you in action before I returned to King's Landing. It is true what they say about the _wildling_ ward after all."

Robb seemed angered enough to descend the balcony stairs and fight the man for her, but he held himself back. He knew she was strong and fierce, despite all of her fears.

"And what exactly do _they_ say about me, Ser Jaime?" Elaena bravely asked, mentally preparing herself to fight the lion.

"I have been told that you were a warrior disguised as a lady." Jaime answered, mockery evident in his voice. "Quite the lady you are, though. Whoever sees you in a dress would never think you would be able to wield a sword."

"It seems that you have been watching me, Ser." Elaena let out a very dangerous chuckle. Jaime noticed how very fake her smile was, and how angry he was making her. Oh, how it pleased him to watch her becoming bothered by his presence. "Should I be worried?"

Jaime smirked deviously at her. "Oh, you should." Elaena frowned insecurely, but maintained a strong posture. She was not going to let him see her true fear. "So, our friendly combat… Have you thought about it, Lady Elaena?"

"Yes, I have."

"And?"

"Get your sword, Ser Jaime."

Jaime pulled out his sword and positioned himself, watching as Elaena did the same thing. She wasn't wearing any sort of armor, and if he wanted to kill her right there, he could do it. They danced around each other like lions choosing the best form of attack, and then, finally, Jaime lunged at her. Elaena was surprised at first and barely dodged his attack, but was able to fight him off. The clash of swords was the only audible sound and it made Robb, Jon and Theon nervous beyond words. Their combat was anything but friendly, it seemed. Elaena was clever and fast, he had to give her that. Granted, Jaime had never seen a woman fighting like this before, but he could still beat her. He was getting closer to defeating the Targaryen girl, but Elaena wasn't going to lose without putting up a good fight. Jaime attempted to pierce her abdomen, but her sword stopped him from doing so. Then, he tried to attack her lower members, but she still managed to block him. When he drew closer to her, Elaena tried to attack him but failed. Jaime put his foot in front of hers and pushed the girl towards the mud, causing her to trip, his free hand grasping her sword to throw it away from her. She had been stupid and naïve not to think that he would pull some sort of trick on her. She should have seen it coming. "You do not fight with honor." Elaena accused, her purple eyes focused on the tip of his sword as it was directed towards her face.

Jaime laughed at her angry expression. "Honor gets you killed."

"I should have known you would say something like that."

"Are you saying that I am predictable?"

"Well, sort of, yes."

Elaena laughed and the Lannister snorted, offering the girl his hand to help her getting up. Reluctantly, she accepted it, not knowing that he would pull her closer to him. Well, _that_ was certainly unexpected. _Damn him_ , she thought. His hot breath touched her red cheeks, and his green eyes focused on her violet ones. "Who are you really?" Jaime had been dying to pose that question, knowing he wouldn't obtain the answer he so much desired. Looking at her face was the only answer he needed, though. Her lilac eyes, her silvery blonde hair, her troubled expression… everything about her screamed _Targaryen_ to him!

"What do you mean, Ser? I do not understand your question."

"I know you are not a wildling." Jaime pressed further, making the girl more and more nervous. The hold he had on her hand grew tighter, and she pushed him away from her, attempting to set herself free. "Tell me who you are, girl. I know that what dear old Ned has been telling the folks about you is a lie. You are not a wildling at all."

"Who I am is none of your business, _Kingslayer_." Elaena snapped angrily at him, knowing how much he hated that nickname.

"Must you call me that?"

"It _is_ your nickname. I hear you have earned it."

"Careful now." Jaime smirked at her, making her stomach twist in fear. "You are stepping on shaky ground."

Elaena took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. If she let her snarky mouth take over again, she would be in trouble. Instead, she chose to calm down and disguise how anxious she felt. "I am so sorry. Sometimes I let my mouth run ahead of my mind. I apologize, Ser." Jaime nodded firmly at her, surprised to notice that she had contained herself and concealed her rage behind a forced smile. "If you will excuse me, this lady just so happens to have other things requiring her attention at the moment."

Her tone was still arrogant, but it brought some sort of amusement to him. "Of course, my lady. I do not want to keep you from your duties." Elaena nodded tightly, beginning to walk away from him. His voice caused her to stop a moment later. "Will you ever tell me who you are, though?"

"Never."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hello, guys. I haven't updated in a long while, I know, and I'm afraid I won't do so, because my computer completely fried. I don't know when I will get a new one because of _reasons_. I have practically lost everything I have written so far and I am completely drained. I don't know when you will hear from me again, but when I get a new one, I promise you that I will continue this story! I am so sorry, guys. I really am. This chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones, so, yeah… I am sorry about that too. I hope you can understand. This story is officially on a HIATUS. Again, I'm sorry. **


	7. Stark and Targaryen

"So, this is goodbye, then?"

"I do not know, Elaena. I hope not." Jon Snow's dark eyes sparkled with sadness as he glanced down at his lady friend. Her violet eyes were becoming watery, since she knew his departure was near and definite - Jon Snow was leaving Winterfell for good. His horse had already been saddled and his belongings were neatly packed. The Royal Family was leaving as well, and the king was taking Lord Eddard, Sansa and Arya along with him. Elaena felt lost, for obvious reasons. She still had Robb and Theon by her side, but not having Jon there... it was diferent and strange. She felt more vulnerable than ever.

Jon brought the girl into his arms and held her close to him for a very long moment. His dark eyes found Robb's icy blue ones, and the brothers nodded at each other with evident respect for one another. "Take care of her." Jon told Robb in a very serious tone, obviously reffering to the silver-haired girl. The Young Wolf nodded, his blue eyes mainly focused on Elaena Targaryen. Then, Jon glanced down at the beauty he held in his arms and said: "And you will take care of him, aye?"

Elaena wanted to cry, but she hid her affliction well. Instead, a hoarse laugh escaped her throat and she nodded, closing her eyes and enjoying their last moments together. She was saying goodbye to a brother, not just a friend. She let him go and took a few steps back, allowing Robb and Theon to have a few words with Jon too. Elaena felt a hand touching her arm rather gently, so she whirled around, finding Lord Eddard standing right there, a simple smile masking his worries.

"May I have a word with you, Elaena?"

"Of course, my lord."

Elaena glanced back at Robb, Jon and Theon, and followed Lord Stark as he found a more private place to chat with the girl. Some of the King's Guard men were saddling their horses, while others were talking among themselves. Sansa and Arya had already packed all their things and they were waiting outside their carriage for the signal to leave. Only Sansa seemed happy about going to King's Landing. Queen Cersei and her children had already occupied the Royal carriage, though the King hadn't shown up yet. Jaime Lannister had been watching Elaena from afar, wanting to corner her alone, but it seemed to be impossible. Perhaps this was the last time he would see her pretty but haunting face; he surely hope so. She meant trouble, he knew it.

Ned's eyes searched for Elaena's purple ones as he tried to read her expression. "I thought the departure of the Royal Family would please you."

"It would, if King Robert hadn't decided to take you, Sansa and Arya with him."

"It is my duty, but it is not forever, Elaena."

"I know that, my lord."

Still, she didn't sound too convinced. King's Landing was a very dangerous place, everyone was sure of that. Who knew what would happen along the way? Ned was not her real father, but he may as well be. Sure, the blood of King Aerys ran through her veins, but Eddard was the one who raised her, he was the one who cared for her all those years ago and now still. She was scared for his life, because Ned was the only fatherly figure she had ever come to know. "Fear not, my child. This isn't the last time we see each other." Elaena tried to smile, but she couldn't. Ned seemed so sure, but she wasn't; not truly. "And perhaps the next time I see you, you will be a married woman, bearing the Stark name."

There it was, the talk she did not want to have.

Robb and Elaena hadn't said a word to each other about that subject yet, and in truth, she didn't know how to bring up such topic of conversation. "Do you, in all honesty, believe I deserve the name, Ned? Do I deserve to marry your son Robb?"

"You have to prove yourself worthy." Ned responded, his hand landing on her shoulder. The man offered her a warm, understanding smile. "But yes. I believe you do. And Robb has never cared for any other woman." Elaena's cheeks betrayed her and turned light pink. "Even when you were merely children, Elaena. You have always played well together, you always have. I have made a promise to myself and your mother Rhaella that I would do anything in my power to protect you, but Cat and I, we weren't sure if this, marrying you to Robb, was the right thing to do."

"And now you are. Why?"

"You will understand soon enough, Elaena." The girl sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. Eddard saw King Robert passing by them and the man winked at him, knowing it was time to leave. Although a small smile played on his lips, leaving Winterfell was the last thing Lord Stark wanted to do, and it did not bring him any joy. Lady Catelyn wasn't even there to hug and kiss Ned goodbye, since she hadn't left Bran's side for a second. She was most definitely angry with her husband due to his decision; seven hells, she couldn't even understand why Ned had to accept such a dangerous offer. "I know you are scared, but you do not have to be. Catelyn will help you with your duties as the Lady of Winterfell, and it will come easier with time." Elaena gulped nervously, nodding with her head. "Farewell, my child."

Elaena watched King Robert and Lord Stark mounting their horses while the rest of the King's Guard men did the same thing. Jon Snow was already sitting on top of his horse, his eyes glued to Robb and Theon. Elaena approached them, moving to stand next to the future Lord of Winterfell. His hand brushed hers for a moment, and she allowed him to intertwine his fingers with hers. Her eyes trailed down below so she could see their hands united. Did Robb really want this marriage? If so, why didn't he breathe a word about it? If Elaena had to be honest with herself, she had reached the conclusion that she truly wanted to wed Robb. Deep inside, she had always wanted that. She just didn't know if the feeling was mutual or not.

King Robert finally gave the signal to leave, and the gates were opened by Stark men to allow their passage. Slowly, they all disappeared from view, and the gates were closed. Elaena let out the breath she had been holding and she felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders. She wasn't happy about Lord Eddard, Sansa and Arya leaving Winterfell, but she was relieved that she didn't have to face Jaime Lannister anymore. Perhaps she was safe now.

Their hands parted and Elaena swirled around to make her leave, but Robb pulled her back to him, startling her. Theon knew it was time to give those two some alone time; they surely needed it. The future Lord of Winterfell had told him everything about Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn's ideas of marrying Robb to Elaena Targaryen, scared as he was. It wasn't that he didn't want to marry her; he was just afraid she was against it. He decided he had waited long enough - they needed to have a conversation about their wedding as soon as possible.

"Elaena..."

"Robb?"

The oxygen became trapped inside her lungs, and she just wanted to run away from him, though she was not going to do that. "I think we should talk." Elaena gulped thickly, nervously tucking a strand of silvery blonde hair behind her ear. Robb offered her his hand and waited for her to accept it. "Come with me to the godswood, will you? We will have more privacy there. To talk."

"Of course." Elaena nodded, keeping an unreadable expression. "I believe I know what you want to talk about, Robb."

"Why haven't you said anything, then?"

"I was scared."

"Why? Why would you be scared? Elaena..."

There were so many things she wanted to tell him, and she didn't even know where to begin. "Like you said, Robb, in the godswood we will have more privacy to talk about this, so... come on, Stark."

* * *

The godswood was a dark, eerie place. Elaena could feel the old gods watching over them, observing every move of theirs through unseen eyes. Most people who visited it felt uncomfortable in there, but not her. Elaena had found a sense of belonging in the North, even if she wasn't really a northern woman. Winterfell was her home. The Starks were her family. She had most definitely been luckier than her siblings, who didn't have a fixed household for long or someone else to take care of them permanently or until they came of age.

Robb Stark watched her fingertips as they touched the weirwood's melancholic face, its deep-cut eyes staring right back at her. She turned around suddenly, her violet orbs searching for his icy blue ones. "I was scared, Robb. And I still am. I grew up thinking that I could never marry you. You were supposed to marry a highborn lady from a wealthy, strong House and I... well, my future was uncertain; it still is."

"You thought of marrying me?"

Elaena realized that _that_ was the part he caught on. "Robb, please..."

"Did you?"

"Yes, I did!" Elaena admitted, raising her voice slightly. "I always have. I thought about it, I just did not think it would happen..."

Robb sauntered closer to her, his eyes never abandoning hers. "Neither did I."

Elaena approached him slowly, her hands grasping her baby blue cloak tightly. "So, you thought about marrying me?"

"I did. Plenty of times before."

"And what do you think of it, now that you know that it is going to happen?"

Robb reached her, holding her face gently between his hands. "I can only think: _finally, I can marry her_." Their faces were only inches apart now. She could feel his breath on her skin, causing her to shiver almost completely.

"So, you want this?"

"I always have. How could you not have seen it before, Elaena? How could you even doubt it? I thought you knew."

"Well, I just thought-"

Before Elaena could finish her sentence, Robb's soft lips were taking full charge of hers. The Targaryen girl was quick to respond to his kiss, even though she had been taken by surprise. His right hand was placed on her neck, while the left one landed on her waist, pulling her even closer to him. Her heart was pounding wildly. Was this truly happening? Elaena smiled into the kiss, happiness written all over her features. She had been waiting for that moment almost her entire life. Robb was ecstatic as well, as he had never thought it possible before. Their kiss was slow, and it left him wanting more. His fingers tangled in her hair, his lips glued to hers, their bodies closer than ever... Robb wanted her more than anything else. Gods, even being close to her was enough to have him completely aroused. A simple kiss sent a fire burning through his whole body, endlessly. His lips became more and more demanding, and that was when he knew he should stop right there, or else he wouldn't be able to tear himself away from Elaena. Also, he respected her too much to push her buttons like that.

The silver-haired beauty had never been kissed like that before. In fact, she had never been kissed at all. She was definitely flustered. Robb was her first, as he would be in every other way. "I, I can't believe this is happening, Robb." Elaena stuttered, their lips parting for a few moments. "But it makes me so happy. You have no idea, Stark."

"I might have a clue." Robb stated, a sly smile gracing his handsome face.

Elaena placed a soft kiss on his lips, her eyes focusing on his. "So, this is it, then. We are getting married. You and I. Stark and Targaryen."

"Lord and Princess."

"Yes. We are quite the combination, you and I."

"I wouldn't want to marry any other woman."

"But you would have to, if your father said so."

"I would have no option, true. But I wouldn't stop thinking of you."

"You would learn to love her."

"I would not."

Elaena shook her head and smiled, remaining quiet. Robb continued to look at her, contemplating her features, her beauty, her full lips and violet, luring eyes. She was so tempting and enticing. Robb knew he would never want any other woman like he wanted Elaena. She was his oldest, closest friend, but she was so much more than just that. He trusted her with his life and secrets. She was not just some girl he wanted to bed, he had never been that kind of a man. Elaena would be his, and he would be hers, just as it was meant to be. Fire and ice, together. _Stark and Targaryen_.

* * *

Night had fallen faster than she thought. Elaena sat in a chair near the fireplace of the Library Tower, the flames dancing in her purple eyes. A large book rested on her lap, one about dragons and whatnot. On another chair sat the box that guarded her two dragon eggs inside; she had been very careful while bringing them with her. Only two other people remained in the library at that hour, but she did not mind it at all. She had been reading that book, searching for a way to bring her dragons to life. So far, nothing about that subject had been found. Her mind was too busy thinking and rethinking about the afternoon she spent with Robb in the godswood. After their conversation about marriage and a few heated kisses, Robb and Elaena spent the rest of their time together talking about what their lives would be like from now on, the things they loved, the things they would miss the most, their fears, everything and anything. It had always been easy to talk to Robb. Elaena was happy, truly.

She had been too focused on the book to notice the girl collapsing a few meters away from her. Before she fell, the young woman knocked down a pile of books, which seemed to draw the Targaryen girl's full attention. Elaena jumped up abruptly and dropped the book on the chair, whirling around in surprise. Terror filled her mind when she saw the girl choking on her own thick blood. Elaena sprinted towards her and tried to help her by placing her hand over the girl's cut throat to somehow stop or delay the bleeding, but to no avail. The girl was dead seconds later. Elaena ran towards the exit door, but it was locked. She banged on it and screamed for dear life but nothing happened, no one came to rescue her. Whatever, or whoever, had killed the poor girl was still inside, with her. Elaena felt her whole body shaking with fear and adrenaline. Then, she remembered. There had been another person in the library with her - the old man who took care of organizing the shelves and the books. Elaena searched for something lethal to defend herself, and then she slapped herself mentally, noticing that there was nothing dangerous in a library. Her own hands would have to do the job.

"Show yourself! I know you are in here, somewhere! Coward!" Elaena shouted, her eyes sparkling with pure fury and fear. She heard something moving behind her, and her first instinct was to run towards her dragon eggs to protect them. Before she reached the box, she slipped and fell hard. Her hands and her silvery dress were covered by some sort of liquid, and it was not blood. She had the sense of smelling it, and that is when she fully understood. It was alcohol. "What game are you playing with me? Why am I not dead yet?"

"You will be. Very soon." A man in his mid-forties appeared from behind the large desk next to where the other girl had died seconds before. Elaena presumed the other man to be dead already. It seemed that she was the only one left. She wondered why.

"Why are you doing this? If your purpose is to kill me, why did you have to kill them?"

"You were supposed to be alone. I wasn't expecting others to be here at this hour."

"Who are you? Who sent you?"

"Worry yourself with what I will do to you, not with the person I was sent by."

"Who do you serve?" Elaena shouted, stumbling back as the man sauntered closer to her. The man remained silent, his vicious eyes indicating that he had enjoyed killing the two other people. Instead of having a knife in his hands to slit her throat like he had done to the other man and woman, he held a matchbox and a match. It only took her a split second to understand what he wanted to do to her.

Then, she had an idea. "Go ahead, then. Burn me. Run back to your masters and tell them I am dead, but you won't hear me scream, that much I can tell you."

"Yes, I will."

Elaena was left with nothing else to say. Her purple eyes followed the man's figure as he walked towards the exit door, where the trail of alcohol started and ended. Her eyes followed the stains on the floor and saw that it had all been covered by the liquid. Perhaps she was truly doomed. "Who do you serve?" She screamed furiously, digging her nails in her palms. "Tell me!"

The man offered her a disgusting, frightening smile, removing a match from inside the box to lit it. Before he dropped it over the alcohol, the man whispered: "The Lannisters send their regards."

He was gone in the next second, and she was left alone, in the middle of the growing fire.


	8. Out of the Fire

The Library Tower had been completely destroyed. All the books, relics and registrations had been burnt to the ground. Robb saw the fire from afar in the middle of the night and came running as fast as he could, but he had never expected Elaena to be involved in it. The future Lord of Winterfell searched for the Targaryen girl everywhere and anywhere, but there had been no sign of her. Elaena had gone missing. That was when he placed it all together. Still he did not want to believe in it. She could not have died in that fire; it was not possible!

Then again, Robb remembered Elaena mentioning she was going to stay in the Library Tower until late because she wanted to do some research about dragons and their eggs, and yet he was hopeful that she had somehow escaped that fire. Only in the morning were they able to search through the entire wreckage that the building had turned into. There were burnt bricks and wood everywhere. What were once shelves, were now mere ruins. There weren't even remains of the books and relics, everything had been lost to that damned fire. Robb, Theon, Rodrick Cassel and a few more men had been searching through that entire wreck to count the bodies, and until now they had only found two; thankfully, Elaena was not among them. A piercing growl was suddenly heard, and Robb decided to follow the sound, separating himself from the rest of the search group. The source of that strange noise had been found.

What he saw was simply unaccountable, but relieving at the same time.

Crouching down was a silver-haired girl. _Elaena_. Her head was hidden between her knees, she was utterly naked and her pale skin was dirty with ashes of the fire. In the middle of her thighs rested a small, silvery scaled reptile with small wings, a long tail and neck, and spiny horns that ran down his back from head to tail. A new-born _dragon_. Its eyes were violet, very much like Elaena's. Robb was speechless. He couldn't even move or speak. From behind the girl, another threatening growl was heard. A purplish scaled dragon with yellowish eyes appeared from behind her, his eyes piercing and menacing. It started moving towards Robb to protect his mother from the supposedly unknown man, but Elaena lifted her head at last and called back for him: "Visemon."

The purplish scaled dragon came to a halt and glared back at his mother, standing down. The silvery scaled dragon immediately understood that Robb was not a threat to his mother, so he didn't even move an inch from the Targaryen girl's lap. "Elaena." Robb whispered, crouching down right in front of her, both of her dragons hissing madly to keep him at a safe distance from her.

"Rhaegon, Visemon!" The dragons silenced themselves at their mother's sharp warning.

"What happened? How did you…? Elaena? How are you even alive?"

"Fire cannot kill a dragon." Her voice was hoarse, and her face was tormented, but when her eyes landed on her children, she softened a little. Robb could see love in her expression. She was going to protect them at any cost, like any mother would do.

Elaena nearly jumped when she saw Theon Greyjoy approaching the couple slowly. Robb whirled around and saw his friend, a frightened, terrified look in his eyes. The dragons started growling threateningly as soon as they laid eyed on the iron born boy. The rest of the search group hadn't followed after him, thankfully. "Theon..." Robb pronounced, his tone of voice warning him that if he did something stupid, he would pay for it dearly. He wasn't any more shocked than Robb had been when he first found her in there, _naked_ , petting her silvery scaled dragon, _Rhaegon_. Robb did not enjoy the way Theon's eyes lingered on Elaena's slender curves, so he immediately took off his dark cloak and handed it to her so she could cover herself, trying not to get too close so that he wouldn't anger her children. It seemed that Elaena was the only person they wanted to be near to. "This has an explanation, but the others must not know. Tell them there is nothing here, just ruins, Theon."

"They cannot know about this." Elaena said, her hands shaking and her eyes worried that he would let that information slip to the wrong hands. "Whispers travel fast through Westeros. The Baratheon King will kill them as soon as he hears of this. Please, Theon... I beg of you."

Theon gulped thickly and nodded quickly. "You have my word, Elaena."

The Greyjoy boy left as quickly as he had arrived, leaving Robb, Elaena and her dragons in there. The fire hadn't harmed her, but she was still burning hot. Robb touched her dirty skin and frowned, a confused look in his icy blue eyes. "The fire only burned your clothes. How is it possible? I remember you telling me that some Targaryens had tried to hatch dragon eggs before and died in horrible pain, burned to the bone."

"Fire can't kill a dragon, Robb. I am the dragon's daughter." Elaena said simply, a small smile gracing her lips. "At first, I thought I was going to die, but then I saw the flames touching my skin and I realized - it did not hurt at all, it only felt warm. After that, I heard their screams. _Rhaegon_ and _Visemon_. They are alive. This wouldn't have happened if that man hadn't attacked me and those two poor souls he killed."

"Bran was attacked last night, too." Robb told her, her expression suddenly becoming scared and preoccupied. "He is fine. My mother was there with him. She protected him, and Summer killed the assassin. Someone tried to kill two birds with one stone. The fire attracted enough attention for the other man to enter the Keep so he could kill Bran, while the one who attacked you fled the Library Tower and went on his way."

"Only one name comes into my mind right now, Robb." Elaena confessed, her tone bitter and vengeful. Robb remained silent, waiting for her to tell him. "Lannister."

"Are you sure?"

"I am, Robb. Before the man left me to die, he said these exact words: _The Lannisters send their regards_."

Robb remained quiet for a few moments, his mind processing everything that had happened since the previous day. His brother had almost died, _twice_! Elaena could have died as well, and the dragons... Robb didn't know what sort of magic was this, but he knew that Elaena was a very special young woman, he had always known that. It still seemed impossible to believe that those dragons were real, living and breathing creatures. At least Elaena was unharmed; if she hadn't been, he would have sought the man and killed him with his own hands. "I was afraid I would find you among the dead bodies. I thought I had lost you." Robb said suddenly, helping Elaena rising up. Her dragons glared up at her, expectant looks in their eyes. The purplish scaled dragon, Visemon, opened his wings, ready to fly and land on her shoulder, but since she didn't want to risk it because he had just been born, she picked him up and allowed him to climb onto her shoulder. Rhaegon observed his brother and decided he would do the same thing. Robb wanted to hold her close, hug her and kiss her, but the dragons were keeping him from doing just that.

"I was scared too." Elaena confessed. "I didn't know if I was going to survive the fire. I didn't know if I was going to see you again."

Robb smiled lovingly at her, and for a moment, he almost forgot about the two dragons that rested upon Elaena's shoulders. She was a true Targaryen, he could really see it now. Minus the insanity that most of them had suffered from and the tyrannic acts, Robb could see a bold, young and beautiful girl who was meant to do great things. Robb wanted to wed her, he knew it for sure.

* * *

Hiding the dragons was going to be a very difficult task, because they were very noisy and hungry most of the time. Robb wanted to help her, but he didn't know how yet. For the time being, Rhaegon and Visemon were being kept inside Elaena's chambers, but they would need more space, because what kind of child would want to stay trapped inside a room all day? Elaena did not want to keep them inside those four walls the entire time, they deserved their freedom; dragons were not meant to be locked, they were meant to be free.

Rhaegon and Visemon were sitting on top of Elaena's bed while she washed herself and put some clothes on, and Robb was left to watch over her children. "I will have to hunt for them. Dragons are essentially carnivores, all they eat is meat." Robb heard Elaena saying from behind the changing screen. The young lord gulped and glanced back at Rhaegon and Visemon, who were observing him in an evaluating way. Their mother seemed very fond of the boy, and she trusted him completely, so why shouldn't they?

Rhaegon, the dragon with silvery scaled skin and violet eyes, took small steps towards the edge of the bed, shortening the distance between him and Robb. The Young Wolf found it strange, but approached the small creature with slow movements and great caution. Robb bent down next to the bed and carefully, he raised his hand. Rhaegon had just been born, and only when he grew older would he be able to fly properly and breathe fire. Right now, the worst thing he could to Robb was biting him, so he decided he would risk it. Rhaegon's violet eyes followed his hand as it landed slowly on his head, and seeing that the silvery dragon had allowed him to touch him, Robb became more at ease with him.

Elaena reappeared from behind the changing screen and remained quiet, watching the scene. She smiled to herself, satisfied that Rhaegon was warming up to Robb. Visemon, on the other hand, didn't trust him one bit. "Never show them you are afraid of them, because they will never respect you if you do."

"They seem to respect you." Robb said, his eyes still glued to Rhaegon, who seemed to enjoy his caresses.

"I am their mother." Elaena said simply, as if they had really been born out of her own womb. They hadn't, but it was almost as if it had happened that way. Elaena brought them to life; in the heat of fire, she showed them her motherly warmth.

Elaena approached the bed and sat on it, both dragons immediately turning their attention to _her_. "I will have to feed them very soon."

"I could help you with that." Robb told her, his icy blue eyes now focused on her. "I could bring some meat from the kitchen for them."

"You do not have to do that, Robb."

Robb moved towards her and bent his knee in front of her, placing his hands over hers. "I want to do this for you, and for them. We will be married soon, and we are in this together. You will be my wife and I your husband, and I will always protect you, even though I know you are quite capable of doing it yourself. Let me help you, Elaena."

She sighed, and nodded, her hands pulling him closer to her. She placed a small kiss on his lips and smiled softly. "Fine."

"Maester Luwin will want to examine you, to see if you are hurt. My mother has already been informed about you escaping the fire. She doesn't know about... _the dragons_ , only Theon and I know of this. She has also required a meeting, this afternoon. You are coming too; she wants to talk to you about the man who set the fire in the Library Tower. You will be Lady of Winterfell soon enough, and you are required to attend these meetings, like I am."

"I will attend the meeting, as it is my duty. I am just a bit reluctant because I do not want to leave them alone." Elaena told him, tilting her head towards Rhaegon and Visemon. "A mother does not leave her children alone when they need her the most."

"I understand, but you cannot take them to the meeting." Robb answered.

"Aye, I know that. I will have to tell Catelyn... this is a matter of great importance, she must know about them. I trust her." Elaena murmured, her violet eyes glued to his icy blue ones. Robb could see that she was terribly worried about her dragons, her safety, and her family, the Starks. If the rest of the world knew about the existence of her dragons, they would be killed, and so would she. House Stark would be destroyed, because they kept the girl hidden for many years, instead of warning King Robert about her. "Oh, Robb... your father should have never accepted to take care of me. One of these days, I will be the death of all of you."

"Elaena, don't ever said that again." Robb warned, his tone serious and warning. In that moment, he did sound like a true wolf of the North. "I am so glad you are here, with us. We never would have met if Father didn't take you in our household."

"Perhaps it would have been the best thing for all of you. You could marry a real lady, not a fallen princess."

"I have told you this before, and I will tell you again: I wouldn't have it any other way, Ella. I wouldn't want you to be anywhere else, but here. I want you _here_ , with me. You belong with us. I want to marry _you_ , not some other lady."

Elaena's eyes were tearful, and she had a lump in her throat. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Robb, or to the others. She had learned to love this family, _her_ family, but most of all, she had come to love _him_.

Suddenly, Robb pulled Elaena into his arms and hugged her close to him, allowing her to lean her head on his fair chest. She shut her eyes and enjoyed the feeling, the only feeling that ever brought her true and honest peace. "You are mine, as I am yours." Robb whispered in her ear, causing her to tremble in happiness and excitement. "And we will protect each other until the end of our days. Your curses are mine, your enemies are mine." The Young Wolf paused, watching her expression and her genuine smile. "My secrets and my heart are yours."

"Myself is all I have to give you. There is no wealth, no peace, no crown. Just me." Elaena breathed, planting her lips on his.

Robb was breathless, and he couldn't be happier and more relieved to hear those words pour out of her mouth. "And that is all I want, and need." The Young Wolf smiled purely, and kissed the love of his life.

* * *

Two hours later, Robb Stark and Elaena Targaryen were making their way through the godswood. Before leaving, Robb stole some roasted meat from the kitchen and brought it for Rhaegon and Visemon, who were more than happy to devour it. Robb and Elaena left the two dragons in the girl's chambers and locked the door, but she felt a pain in her chest growing stronger as she distanced herself more and more from them. She had no other option but to leave them in her bedroom. At least she knew that nobody could hurt them in there.

Robb and Elaena found Lady Catelyn, Rodrick Cassel, Maester Luwin and Theon Greyjoy waiting for them in the middle of the trees. Lady Catelyn's worried eyes immediately analyzed Elaena as soon as they reached the small group. "How are you, my sweet girl?"

"I am fine. Thank you, Catelyn."

"We must discuss what happened in the Library Tower, last night."

Robb, Elaena and Theon exchanged intense looks, but Elaena cleared her throat and responded without showing any hesitation. "I barely escaped the fire. I was sitting by the fireplace when the assassin killed the man and the girl. He was coming for me next, so I pushed him and ran as fast as I could. It was only seconds after I fled the tower that it started burning madly."

"The fire attracted enough attention so that the other assassin could slip into the Keep and try to kill Bran."

"That is why you are all here." Lady Catelyn declared, her tone serious and dangerous. "What I am about to tell you must remain between us. I don't think Bran fell from that tower. I think he was thrown."

Maester Luwin nodded, agreeing with the lady. "The boy was always sure-footed before."

"Someone tried to kill him twice. Why? Why murder an innocent child?"

"Perhaps he saw something he was not supposed to see at all." Elaena piped up, finishing Lady Catelyn's phrase for her. Robb and Elaena had thought about it before, and it made sense. Bran had always been a climber! He had to be pushed, _that_ was the only plausible explanation.

"Saw what, then?" Theon asked, trying to understand their logic.

"I don't know." Catelyn answered for Elaena. "But I would stake my life the Lannisters are involved. We already have reason to suspect their loyalty to the crown."

"Did you notice the dagger the killed used?" Rodrick Cassel interrupted, retrieving the dagger from his pocket to show the others. "It's too fine a weapon for such a man! The blade is Valyrian steel, the handle dragonbone. Someone gave it to him."

"May I see it?" Elaena questioned him carefully. Rodrick nodded and handed it to the girl, whose eyes analyzed the object with great, great care. Indeed it was dragonbone, and Valyrian steel. Holding the dagger was enough to make her shudder in fear. The future was uncertain, especially hers. "It was given to him, by someone with easy access to this sort of weaponry."

"That is why I believe the Lannisters were the ones giving it to him, to send Bran to his death."

"They come into our home and try to murder my brother?" Robb growled frighteningly, his eyes becoming a darker shade of blue, and his voice turning rougher. Elaena noticed the change in his behavior and held his hand, trying to calm him down. "If it is war they want..."

"If it comes to that, you know I will stand behind you." Theon said immediately, placing his hand over his friend's shoulder in a supporting manner.

Maester Luwin shook his head disapprovingly. "What? Is there going to be a battle in the godswood? Too easily words of war become acts of war. We do not know the truth yet. Lord Stark must be told of this."

"I do not trust a raven to carry these words." Catelyn murmured darkly, already knowing what she had to do to warn her husband.

"I'll ride to King's Landing." Robb offered, causing Elaena to cast him a worried glance.

"No." Lady Catelyn replied instantly. "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. I will go myself."

"Mother, you can't!"

"I must."

"I'll send Hal with a squad of guardsmen to escort you." Rodrick Cassel informed the lady.

"Too large a party attracts unwanted attention." Lady Catelyn stated, shaking her head in denial. "I don't want the Lannisters to know I'm coming."

"Let me accompany you, at least. The Kingsroad can be a dangerous place for a woman alone." Rodrick Cassel insisted. Lady Catelyn sighed, but ended up agreeing with the man, nodding in affirmation.

"What about Bran?" Robb inquired with worry evident in his eyes.

"I have prayed to the Seven for more than a month. Bran's life is in their hands now."

"Then it is settled, my lady." Maester Luwin finished, declaring that the meeting was over.

Elaena sighed deeply and hugged her sides, following Robb and Theon quietly. She could really see a war on its way. She did not know how or when it was going to begin, but she knew who would be fighting. Winter was coming indeed, and with it would bring fire and blood. So much blood.


	9. The Dragon and the Wolf

"Oh, my sweet summer child. What do you know about fear? Fear is for the winter, when the snows fall a hundred feet deep. Fear is for the long night, when the sun hides for years and children are born and live and die, all in darkness! That is the time for fear, my little lord, when the White Walkers move through the woods! Thousands of years ago, there came a night that lasted a generation. Kings froze to death in their castles, same as the shepherds in their huts. And women smothered their babies rather than see them starve, and wept and felt the tears freeze on their cheeks." The Old Nan came to a sudden halt in her story, noticing that the look on Bran's eyes had changed drastically. "So, is this the sort of story that you like? In that darkness, the White Walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders, big as hounds..."

"What are you telling him now?"

The old woman became quiet at the sight of Lord Robb Stark and Lady Elaena, who stood by the door, waiting for her to leave the young boy alone. "Only what the little lord wants to hear."

"Get your supper. Lady Elaena and I want some time with him." The Old Nan nodded with her head, attempting to get up from the chair to leave the young lord's chambers. Once she was out the door, Elaena closed it gently and moved to sit down on Bran's large bed, while Robb remained standing up, his icy blue eyes analyzing Bran's state. "One time she told me the sky is blue because we live inside the eye of a blue-eyed giant named Macumber."

Elaena smiled at that. Old Nan used to tell her those sort of stories as well, but the one she remembered best was the story about the Ice Dragon. Old Nan used to tell her and Jon Snow about that creature, usually at night, as an attempt to scare the two of them. In the beginning, Elaena did not understand why Old Nan would choose such a tale to tell the two distinct youngsters, but now, she had a more reliable idea formed in her mind.

"Maybe we do." Bran murmured.

Robb smiled sadly, noticing how weak Bran still was. "How do you feel? You still don't remember anything? I have seen you climb a thousand times! In the wind, in the rain... A thousand times! You never fall..."

"I did, though." Bran paused, his eyes becoming darker at the realization of something awful. "It's true, isn't it? What Maester Luwin says about my legs..." Elaena felt a pain in her chest growing stronger as she watched the little boy's expression.

"It is." Robb answered reluctantly.

"I'd rather be dead."

"Bran." Elaena warned, her voice faltering a little. "Don't ever say that."

"I'd rather be dead." He repeated, a bit slower this time.

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal Lady Catelyn, who seemed prepared to leave Winterfell. The older woman entered her young boy's chambers and approached his bed to plant a soft kiss on his forehead, a sad smile gracing her old but beautiful features. "We will see each other again in no time, Bran." Catelyn said, her hands caressing her sweet boy's face with evident tenderness. "Robb, Elaena and Theon are staying behind, with you. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. If you need anything, Elaena will help you." Bran nodded and tried to smile, but he couldn't. His current state didn't allow him to feel any sort of happiness or gratefulness. He thought that death would have been so much better; it would have been mercy. "Farewell, my dear son."

Catelyn went to leave the bedroom, but Elaena followed after her. The Targaryen girl threw one last worried look towards Robb's way, and left the boy's chambers. "Catelyn." Elaena called, mentally preparing herself to show her dragons to Lady Catelyn.

"I must leave, my sweet girl."

"Aye, I know, but I need to show you something before you go." Elaena replied, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Catelyn noticed it, and arched an eyebrow in distrust. " _Please_ , Catelyn. It will not take long."

Lady Catelyn gulped thickly, but agreed to it. Elaena Targaryen grabbed Catelyn Stark's hand and pulled her along with her, towards her chambers. It only took them a couple of minutes to get there and, before Elaena opened the door, she whirled around to face Catelyn, a serious expression on her beautiful face. "This must remain a secret. I do not know how this happened exactly, but it is a blessing nevertheless." Elaena placed the key into the lock and turned it, opening the door. Rhaegon and Visemon started hissing threats at whoever opened the door but, when they noticed it was only their mother, they calmed down completely. Their state went from peaceful to troubled and threatened in a matter of seconds when they saw Lady Catelyn entering the chambers as well.

"Gods be good!" The older lady exclaimed, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. "How is this even possible, Elaena? They have been extinct for many, many years!"

Catelyn tried to approach them to have a better look at such creatures, but Rhaegon and Visemon stumbled back gradually and growled menacingly at her. "They don't trust people easily." Elaena commented, bending her knee in front of her bed. She extended her hand for Visemon, and the young dragon hopped on it reluctantly. "But look at them. They are beautiful."

"You brought them to life?"

"I believe I did, Cat." Elaena responded, allowing Visemon to climb onto her shoulder. The purplish scaled dragon stood tall and glared daggers at Catelyn, letting her know that if she tried to hurt his mother, he would hurt her badly, if not kill her.

"They are very protective of you."

"As I am of them. A mother always protects her children against any sorts of threats."

"That is true."

"Catelyn, I lied to you earlier, and I am very sorry about that. I did not escape the fire. I was left in there, while the Tower burned completely. I saw the floor covered in alcohol, and I saw the assassin dropping the burning match. I was surrounded by fire in seconds, and it burned my clothes, but not my hair, not my nails, not my skin. And then... only then did I hear them screaming, their ear splitting growls. I ran towards the eggs, but they were gone by then, replaced by two wailing dragons. I guess, in the middle of the fire, they found my motherly warmth, and that is part of what brought them to life."

Catelyn's strange silence meant that the woman was organizing all of that information in her head. She was not expecting something like that, at all. "I have always known that you were special, my sweet girl. I just did not know how much."

"Does that mean you will keep my secret?"

"Isn't that what I have been doing all these years since Ned welcomed you into our house?" Elaena smiled and glanced down at her own hands, knowing that Catelyn had a point. "Yes, of course. I will keep your secret. Your dragons are safe, nobody will know of their existence. I know what they mean to you. They mean to you what all children mean to their mothers."

"Thank you for understanding, Catelyn. Thank you."

* * *

It had already been days since Lady Stark left for King's Landing. Robb and Elaena had been the ones taking care of almost everything in Winterfell, including taxes, accounts and several other appointments. Of course, at most things, they had the assistance and guidance of Maester Luwin, but to be honest, Elaena was starting to get used to that new way of living. It had become of public knowledge that Lord Robb Stark was set to marry Lady Elaena, the wildling ward, very soon. Little did the people know about her true origins, and it was to remain that way. Elaena's dragons were behaving as well as dragons could, and even Visemon had already warmed up to Robb. Her children had already accepted Robb's constant presence, because they knew that he loved her and was completely loyal to her, as she was to him. Things seemed to have settled, and Elaena enjoyed this new type of normality.

That day, however, had been different. Winterfell had new visitors. Early in the morning was when Tyrion Lannister arrived with some of his men, requesting a meeting with Lord Bran Stark. Robb and Elaena had been very reluctant in allowing him to see the injured boy, but they ended up sending Theon Greyjoy to fetch the young lord. "I must say, Lady Elaena, the authority does suit you." Tyrion complimented the Targaryen girl, and he did mean it.

Elaena was a sight for sore eyes, and eyes like his, that had already seen too many ugly things in his lifetime, enjoyed looking at pretty little things like her every now and then. Her beauty was obvious, almost beyond compare, but it was the fire in her eyes that made her even more enticing. In Tyrion's opinion, Robb Stark would have his hands full with that one.

"Thank you, Lord Tyrion." Elaena responded, trying to be as polite as possible.

Tyrion nodded and smirked deviously. "Life is a curious thing, wouldn't you agree, Lady Elaena? It is not every day that we see a girl go from wildling to becoming _the_ Lady of Winterfell." Oh, he was most certainly mocking her. If only he knew who she truly was...

But he couldn't know. She wouldn't let Tyrion or any other Lannister see through her mask.

"It truly is a miracle." Elaena agreed, flashing him a dangerous grin. Tyrion was impressed. Her skills of concealing her rage were getting better; such thing would be useful if she ever set foot in the court of King's Landing, where backstabbing and treachery were normal things.

"Or perhaps an act of love." Tyrion added.

This time, Elaena offered him a genuine smile. "More an act of love than a miracle, yes."

The Lannister could see how much Robb loved her. It was obvious, after all. The Stark boy was so very protective of his wildling girl, he wouldn't let anyone lay a hand on her. She was most definitely his, and he wouldn't show kindness to anyone who tried to take her from him. The same could be said about Elaena. She was more subtle about it, but she wouldn't let any woman tear him away from her. They truly belonged to each other.

A dragon and a wolf, together.

Then, Tyrion's eyes landed on Robb Stark, and he was not surprised to see the boy's irritated expression. It was obvious that the young man did not enjoy his presence in Winterfell, let alone that he spoke to Elaena like that. "I must say, Stark, I received a slightly warmer welcome on my last visit."

"Any man of the Night's Watch is welcome at Winterfell." Robb replied, his tone as cold as the ice covering the Wall.

"Any man of the Night's Watch, but not I, eh, boy?"

"I'm not your boy, Lannister." Robb snapped, his tone arrogant and threatening. "I'm Lord of Winterfell while my father is away."

"Then you might learn a lord's courtesy." Tyrion responded, almost in the same tone. Robb seemed fully prepared to stand up from the table and walk towards the dwarf, but Elaena grasped his hand tightly and glared daggers at him, letting him know that any action he took against the Lannister man would be a mistake, and he would do better if he remained quiet. Theon Greyjoy suddenly stepped into the room, followed by Hodor, who carried Bran Stark in his arms. "So, it is true. Hello Bran. Do you remember anything about what happened?"

"He has no memory of that day." Maester Luwin informed.

"Curious." Tyrion Lannister commented.

"Why are you here?" Robb decided to ask the Imp, sounding a bit calmer.

Ignoring Robb Stark's question, Tyrion looked up at Bran. "Would your charming companion be so kind as to kneel? My neck is beginning to hurt."

Bran agreed to it. "Kneel, Hodor." And so he did. Tyrion Lannister and Bran Stark were finally at the same level.

"Do you like to ride, Bran?"

"Yes. Well, I mean, I did like to."

"The boy has lost the use of his legs." Maester Luwin pointed out.

"What of it? With the right horse and saddle, even a cripple can ride!" Tyrion sounded quite optimistic about what he was saying.

"I'm not a cripple!"

"Then I am not a dwarf! My father will rejoice to hear it." Elaena wanted to laugh, but she held herself back. She had to give it to Tyrion: the man was something entirely different from the rest of his family. The dwarf shoved his hand into his pocket and took out a paper with a few sketches, showing it to Bran. "I have a gift for you. Give that to your saddler. He will provide the rest. You must shape the horse to the rider. Start with yearling and teach it to respond to the reins and to the boy's voice."

"Will I really be able to ride?" Bran inquired, his eyes already filled with hope.

"You will. On horseback you will be as tall as any of them."

"Is this some kind of trick? Why do you want to help him?" Robb questioned the smaller man, obviously not trusting Tyrion's gift to his younger brother.

"I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples, bastards and broken things."

That seemed to have Robb quiet for a few moments before he nodded, his voice filling the entire room. "You've done my brother a kindness. The hospitality of Winterfell is yours."

Tyrion snorted at that, laughing at the younger lord's face. "Spare me your false courtesies, Lord Stark. There is a brothel outside your walls. There, I will find a bed and both of us can sleep easier." Tyrion threw a meaningful glance towards Elaena's way, and Robb immediately understood what the man was trying to say. Robb growled to himself and took a deep breath. Elaena was right. He couldn't let them see that their provocations did affect him. They would take advantage of it.

* * *

"Lady Elaena!"

Elaena was almost done tearing a fencing dummy apart with her sword when she heard Maester Luwin calling out for her, which caused her to roll her eyes. She had spent the entire day taking care of the accounts and taxes, so now she needed a small break from all of that, but it seemed that the Maester was back for more. "Yes, Maester Luwin, I know. Duty calls." Elaena dropped the sword rather dramatically and exhaled exasperatedly. "I will change into a dress quickly. Give me just a few minutes."

"You can rest now, my lady. I haven't come because of your duties as _the_ Lady of Winterfell. That business is taken care of, for today."

"Then what is it?"

"A letter has arrived for you."

"And who sent it?"

"Your sister, Daenerys."

That name was enough to have Elaena's full attention. The Targaryen girl nodded immediately, putting the sword back in its place. "Show it to me." The Maester waved at her, telling Elaena to follow him inside. The girl immediately ascended the stairs and entered the Keep with the old man. Elaena was terribly anxious to read what her twin sister had to tell her. She hadn't heard any news of Viserys and Daenerys in a while now. Maester Luwin opened the door of his chambers and allowed Elaena inside. There wasn't any fire in the fireplace, but Elaena sat near it all the same. Moments later, Maester Luwin joined her with the letter already in hands.

"Here it is."

Elaena accepted the parchment in her hands and unrolled it, beginning to read the words to herself. " _Dear sister, there is nothing that saddens me more than the fact that I have never had the chance to meet you, or to hold you close to me. I have been married to Drogo for a while now, and things are finally getting easier. I was given a dragon egg as a wedding gift, and I could not help but think of you, Ella. He is so beautiful! I wish I could show it to you. The strangest thing is... it is like I can feel him inside, as if he was still alive. You should see it! On another matter... I love our brother Viserys so very much, but he has not been the same since I have married Khal Drogo. He is power-hungry, more than the usual, and I do not believe he will be able to take the Iron Throne from the Usurper. He has always been demanding towards me, but he has crossed all the lines. I am a Khaleesi now, and I am carrying Khal Drogo's child inside me. Viserys has threatened my unborn son, but I will not allow him to scare me anymore. Sometimes, I loathe myself for envying you, Elaena. You are lucky to have a family that has been taking care of you all of these years. All Viserys and I had were lords and ladies that kept passing us on to the next person who accepted us in his household. We have never had a place to call home, but now I have found it among my new people, and Viserys insists on threatening it. I will not take this anymore, Elaena. I expect to hear from you soon, sister. I hope one day we can meet._ "

"Daenerys has a dragon egg..." Elaena murmured, shock written all over her face. The Targaryen beauty gulped thickly, the information finally sinking in. "And she is with child. I am going to be an aunt, Maester Luwin!"

"Yes, so it seems." Maester Luwin analyzed the girl's expression as she read the letter again and again. "The fact that your brother Viserys threatens your sister Daenerys does not seem to surprise you, though."

"Viserys has... a very difficult personality, to put it mildly." Elaena murmured, looking down at her shaking hands. It was hard to hide the happiness she felt, now that she knew that her twin sister was carrying a child. "I was never there with them, but you know that Daenerys used to write me smaller letters that came attached to the bigger ones, telling me about what they would do during the day, how Viserys was, how she was... the sort of thing that she wouldn't show him, because Viserys did not seem to care much about her. He cared more about the future, _his_ future, how he was going to take back what belonged to our family and whatnot. I believe that, deep inside, Viserys cares about Daenerys... he just does not show it, in any way. Daenerys was more a pawn to him so he could get what he wanted, rather than his own sister."

"Perhaps, there is a chance that your brother Viserys inherited your older brother's and your father's... mental illness." Maester Luwin knew that _that_ statement was risky, but he had to try it to see her reaction.

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course, my lady."

"I would not doubt it."

"And Daenerys?"

"Daenerys? What about her?"

"Do you think it is possible that she inherited it as well?"

"No. Not her." Elaena shook her head, certain of her own words. "Daenerys is fine. Viserys may have caused her suffering, but she is not... mad, because of it."

"May I provide you with my opinion now, my lady?" Maester Luwin inquired, placing his hands over hers.

"Of course."

"It is said that the Gods flip a coin whenever a Targaryen is born, because most of them become mad, but I do not believe that is your case. Your family did not want to cross bloodlines with other Houses, so that your blood would remain pure, and that is what caused the illness to run through your family. To be honest, I have watched you grow, Lady Elaena, and you have always had a healthy mind. Some Targaryens didn't show any signs of the illness when they were young; the madness would only appear years later, but that is not your case. You have an honest, brutal vision of the world, Elaena. You are a smart girl, and you can do great things with the things you have been given."

"The madness runs in my family, and that is one of the things I fear the most, Maester Luwin." Elaena responded, glancing down at her hands. "I do not want to be caught up in it as well. I do not want to end up like the rest of them."

"But I know that you won't."

* * *

That same night, Robb and Elaena had made their ways out of the gates of Winterfell and ventured to the godswood with Grey Wind following behind them. With everything that had been happening lately, Robb suggested that his wolf came along, just to be safe. Also, he was dying to kiss his future wife, where no one else could see them. Robb just wanted to hold her close to him and never let her go. So, they had decided to take a late night stroll.

"Did you notice the way the guards looked at us?" Robb suddenly asked, grabbing Elaena's hand.

"What of it?"

Robb laughed at her. "Ella, didn't you see? They must have thought some pretty things, seeing us leaving towards the woods."

"Men..." Elaena murmured, rolling her eyes. "With this cold, nothing would be happening. Especially not in the godswood." The girl hugged her sides and trembled with the cold that insisted on embracing her. "It's freezing outside."

"Well, I can think of a few ways to get us warm." Robb responded with a sly, cocky smirk tugged on his lips.

It was Elaena's turn to laugh at him, not believing in what he had just said. "Oh, I am sure you can!"

"Do you doubt it?"

"No, my lord, I do not." Elaena stopped walking and turned towards him, a devilish smile gracing her features. In the moonlight, she was even more irresistible. Robb's hands landed on her hips and he brought her even closer to him. "In fact, why don't you show me some of those ways?"

Robb's lips immediately covered hers, causing her to moan in surprise and desire. His hands started roaming her entire body, making him feel her delicate curves. His tongue entered her mouth after she gave him the permission to, and her fingers ran through his hair wildly. In the heat of the moment, Elaena just wanted him to take her, but she knew that _that_ was not the place to do such a thing. If she continued to tease him like that, Robb wouldn't be able to control himself. He knew that Elaena was a maiden, so he didn't want to exaggerate. Robb had never been with anyone before, because he just couldn't do it while knowing that his heart belonged to the woman he was now holding in his arms. In fact, he had a few opportunities to do it, about that he could not lie, but he never allowed himself to lay in bed with women he did not love.

"Robb..." Elaena whimpered, trying to get a hold of herself. "If you continue to tease me like this..."

"What? What will you do?" His lips left her mouth and landed on her neck, leaving soft, burning kisses, which made her clutch him even harder. "What will you do, Ella?" His hands traveled through her back until they placed themselves on her bottom.

"Gods, you are torturing me..." She moaned, her voice becoming hoarse.

There was a certain feeling that ran through her entire body and landed on a very specific part of her body, causing her to blush. Robb placed one last kiss on her lips and smiled innocently at her. "What did I do?"

"Do you think this is funny?" Elaena questioned, punching his chest lightly. Robb chuckled, watching her frustrated expression. "You can't torture a person like that. It is not right!"

"But you can?"

"When did I ever torture you, like _this_?"

"The better question would be: when didn't you?"

"But... I didn't do anything."

"And you don't really have to!"

Elaena stopped in tracks and looked at him, unable to form words. Until now, she hadn't realized how much of an arousal she was to him. "Well, I didn't know."

"Well, now you do."

Elaena smiled and shook her head, looking away from him. "Well, then, I guess you should know that I feel the same thing about you."

"I know." Robb whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver completely. "I've noticed."

"Oh, you..."

Elaena punched him lightly and Robb laughed at her expression, pulling her into his arms to hug her as close to him as humanly possible. She laid her head in his chest and enjoyed those peaceful moments. How come Robb was the only one who could truly make her feel safe, loved and excited, all at once? _Damn you, Stark_. She thought to herself, smiling.


	10. Love and War

Elaena did not know how, but she had done it.

Somehow, the Targaryen girl had managed to carry her two dragons out of her chambers and brought them to the godswood with Robb, Theon and Bran, without anyone noticing what they truly were. Robb helped her finding two small cages, so that they could be carried without being seen, and off they were. When they found a quiet place to stay, Elaena released her dragons, which caused Bran to almost fall off his horse. The young boy started asking her all sorts of questions about Rhaegon and Visemon, and she gladly answered him. Bran was astonished and, for the first time in a long while, truly happy, because he could ride again!

While Robb and Theon sat down on a small bench, Elaena kept an eye on Bran, who began circling them with his horse, Dancer. The dragons watched the larger creature running around them with mere curiosity, but followed their mother, since they were stepping on unknown ground. The silver-haired beauty picked them both up and allowed the creatures to climb onto her shoulders. She whirled around and glanced over at Robb and Theon, who seemed quite enveloped in their intense conversation. Elaena joined them, and Theon simply glared at Rhaegon and Visemon with frightened eyes.

"They still scare me." Theon stated, his eyes analyzing the two dragons with great care. "Put them away from me, Ella."

"They will not hurt you, Theon." Elaena assured him, watching as Rhaegon descended from her right shoulder and settled on her lap. She smiled at the little dragon with obvious tenderness and stroked his head. "Show them you are not afraid and they will show you indifference, and respect."

"I want nothing to do with those damned things."

"Theon." Robb warned the iron born boy, his tone laced with irritation and anger.

"Hold your tongue if you want to keep it." Elaena snarled, a dangerous look in her violet eyes. Her dragons sensed it and growled at the Greyjoy boy.

"I promised I would not breathe a word about them to anyone, Robb. I kept my promise!" Theon snapped back at his lord. "I didn't say I would just... stand them." Rhaegon hissed at him, ready to jump on the boy, but Elaena held the dragon back from hurting her foolish friend. "Tell you what, then. What do you think that will happen if King Robert finds out about them? The man himself would ride North just to slay them! Are you forgetting that when these two grow older, they also grow bigger, much bigger! And not even you, Ella, will be able to control them. Dragons are impossible to tame!"

"They are loyal to me." Elaena said simply.

"So it seems. They will not hurt you." Theon nodded with his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "But what about other people? What happens when they start burning whole cities and villages to the ground? What will you do then? People will turn on you and Robb because of them!"

"Rhaegon and Visemon will protect our people, not the other way around!" Elaena raised her voice at him.

"Enough of this!" Robb roared, causing them both to become silent. "Theon, you will not speak to her like that anymore. Soon, she will be _the_ Lady of Winterfell, and you have to respect her!"

Theon huffed, looking away from the couple in anger. "If I may say one thing, just one thing... Elaena, they might be useful in the war to come."

"What do you mean? Rhaegon and Visemon are of the size of cats. They haven't learned to fly yet; they are too young to even breathe fire. To force them into this war would be equivalent to writing their death sentences. I do not want that for my children."

"Then we must find another way to make the Lannisters pay for what they did to Jory and the others."

"It is war you are talking about." Robb stated, shaking his head in denial.

"I am talking about justice!"

"Only the Lord of Winterfell can call in the bannermen and raise an army."

"A Lannister put his spear through your father's leg! The Kingslayer rides for Casterly Rock where no one can touch him!"

"You want me to march on Casterly Rock?"

"You're not a boy anymore, Robb, and you're no longer a girl, Elaena. You're the Lord and the Lady of Winterfell now." Theon said with a certain coldness noticeable in his voice. "They attacked your father. They've already started the war! It's your duty to represent your House when your father can't!"

"And it's not your duty, because it's not your house." Robb snapped, causing Theon and Elaena to flinch at his harsh words. Robb only realized the impact of his own words when it was already too late. The Lord of Winterfell glanced away from his future wife and his friend, suddenly noticing that Bran was not surrounding them anymore. Elaena placed her two dragons on the bench and jumped up, realizing the exact same thing. "Where is Bran?"

Theon stood up as well, glancing around. "I don't know. It's not my House." Having that said, the Greyjoy boy started walking away from the young couple and the two dragons. Elaena watched him with sad eyes.

"You shouldn't have told him that, Robb." Elaena stated with a soft tone, her hands landing on his. "It is not easy for him, growing up in a place where, once in a while, someone reminds him that he doesn't belong. He is your friend, your brother even."

"You defend him, after all the things he said to you?"

"He is scared, and a little bit ignorant."

"He needs to understand that a war isn't a game, Elaena. He wants me to go to war, just like that? He isn't even thinking of the consequences it would bring!" Robb exclaimed, becoming unnerved thanks to the subject at hand. "Now, enough of this. We have to find Bran."

"Fine. Go ahead, I will put Rhaegon and Visemon inside the cages. We will find Bran and we will head back, aye?"

"Yes, hurry up. I do not want you to be alone in these woods. Come meet me as soon as you can."

Elaena nodded with her head and watched Robb distancing himself from her. Then, she whirled around to pick Rhaegon up rather gently, who glanced at her with pleading eyes, since he already knew what she was going to do. "I am sorry, Rhaegon. I know, I know… I hate to have you two inside the cages as much as you do. But I have to, at least until we return to my chambers." The silvery scaled dragon whimpered as a manner of protest, letting his mother know that he didn't want to go back into his prison. Even so, Elaena placed him inside and closed the small door, locking him inside. She turned around and sighed, her eyes becoming heavy at the sight of Visemon, who glanced at her in a protesting way. "You too, Visemon. It will not be long, I promise you." The purple scaled dragon allowed her to pick him up to lock him inside the cage. Elaena went to pick up the two cages, but was stopped by a ragged, middle-aged man who stood in her way. A _wildling_.

"Not so fast, pretty little lady." The man, who was not so soft on the eyes, ordered her, but he didn't know that it only caused Elaena to become angry and more cautious about everything around her. "What have you got there with you?"

"It is none of your business." She snapped immediately, her eyes burning a hole through his head. Rhaegon and Visemon sensed the fear in her voice and began growling furiously, begging her to let them out of their cages. The man's eyes focused mainly on the two objects that kept hissing threats at him. "Now leave me be."

"Not until I find out what those things are." The wildling man responded with a raspy voice, a sickening smile on his dry lips. "You are not going anywhere, little lady. Give them to me, or I'll cut your insides!"

"We will see about that." Elaena mentally slapped herself for not bringing her sword with her. That way, she would have had a better chance at fighting the man. Right now, she was completely helpless. Her dragons wouldn't be able to help her, nor did she want to risk their lives for her. If she had to die protecting them, then so be it. The man showed her his crooked, dirty teeth, which almost made her feel sick, and he took a large knife out of his boot, starting to walk towards her. How was that fair? She was weaponless, while he had a knife! "You're not going to kill me. I won't let you."

"A lady like yourself wouldn't be able to defend herself from a man like me."

"A man like yourself should know better than to trust mere appearances."

The wildling man started running towards her, and when he reached her, he swung his knife at her, but she caught it with her hands. He was easily stronger than her, but she was not going to die without putting up one hell of a fight. The knife started cutting through the skin of her fair hands, but she continued fighting death like it wasn't causing her any pain. She was the dragon's daughter; she was not going to die like that! The man screamed when he felt her knee hitting his crotch with considerable strength, and Elaena ceased the moment to use all of her power left inside her to push him to the ground. Her hands were bloody, but it was her blood, no one else's. The man accidentally dropped the knife as she landed two more kicks on his crotch, and picked it up, holding it against his throat. "You see, I am not your average lady. Since I was a child, I was trained to fight with a sword, and without it, I have to manage. You men all have the same weakness, and when you are not exactly strong, you have to be smart or you end up dead." The man scowled as he felt the knife digging deeper into his skin. He tried to move so he could attack her again, but she dug the knife even deeper. "One more move and I will slit your throat." He stopped moving and eyed her with obvious hatred. "Good. Now, you have threatened my children, and that I will simply not allow."

"You cannot kill me! You don't have it in you! You're just a scared little girl, and you ain't gonna do shit! I'll kill you for this!"

"You won't."

Before she had the chance to slit his throat, an arrow pierced through his chest, putting him down for good. Elaena strumbled back, taken by surprise, and noticed that Theon had been responsible for that blow. "Are you alright?" The Greyjoy boy asked her immediately, sprinting towards her.

Elaena showed him her hands and shrugged. "I will live." Theon's eyes were wide. He never knew that Elaena had it in her, but she seemed ready to murder the wildling man. "We have to find Robb. If this wildling was here, it means that there are probably more of them lurking around and that might be the reason why Robb and Bran haven't been back yet!"

"Come on, then!"

Theon started running ahead, but Elaena stayed back. "I will not leave Rhaegon and Visemon here!"

"Leave them, they will only slow us down!"

"A mother does not leave her children behind, Theon!"

"You're not their mother, Elaena! Leave them behind! We'll come back to pick them up!"

"Theon, I can't! I won't! Go ahead, I'll be right behind you!"

The iron born man growled in anger and murmured something under his breath, but he chose to move ahead instead of staying behind to argue even more with Elaena. He couldn't understand why she was so loyal to those two little monsters. Surely, dragons are beautiful creatures, but they are also deadly, and Theon did not exactly plan on getting roasted in the near future. Soon, they would learn to fly and to breathe fire, and that scared him immensely. Elaena was safe because the dragons loved her and saw her as their mother; they would never hurt her. The others, however, he was not so sure.

Elaena was not too far from Theon. The cages were a bit heavy, but she could manage. She followed Theon's running silhouette and thought about what had almost done to that man. Indeed, he had threatened her children and even her, but she had _nearly_ killed him. Elaena hadn't realized she had such courage, until that moment. Perhaps the fire had changed her. In that night, she felt so vulnerable and weak, a damsel in distress even. She didn't want to feel that way ever again. She became stronger, more courageous, and fiercer. Taking a life didn't feel right, but if she had released him, he would have killed her and done the Gods know what to her dragons. Theon saved her from doing it, but if he hadn't shown up earlier, she would have had the wildling man killed. She didn't want to follow that logic, but in this case, it was kill or be killed.

Elaena and Theon heard a commotion not too far from where they were standing, and she immediately recognized those voices. Well, at least two of them. Theon glared at Elaena and both nodded accordingly, sprinting towards the source of all that noise. Theon arrived before Elaena did. He saw Robb pointing his sword at a wildling woman while his hands grasped her messy hair. Then, he saw another wildling man. This one was holding Bran close to him, his knife resting against the neck of the young lord. Theon didn't even hesitate. He nocked the arrow and pulled back the string, aiming at the man who threatened to kill Bran. He released the arrow and it landed on the wildling's back, causing him to let Bran go and fall to the side, lifeless. Elaena saw what happened and placed her dragons' cages on the ground, running towards Bran. "Are you alright, Bran?" She immediately inquired, checking for any bruises.

The little boy pointed towards the cut in his leg. "This doesn't even hurt."

"Thank the Gods."

"Tough little lad. In the Iron Islands, you're not a man until you've killed your first enemy." Theon informed the group, grabbing another arrow to aim it at the wildling woman who was curled up on the dirty ground.

"Have you lost your mind?" Robb snapped at the Greyjoy boy. "What if you'd missed?"

"He would have killed you and cut Bran's throat!"

"You don't have the right-"

"To what? To save your future wife's and your brother's lives? It was the only thing to do, so I did it!"

Robb turned towards Elaena with a questioning look. "What is he talking about? He saved your life? What happened?"

"After you left to search for Bran, a wildling appeared and tried to kill me. Theon put an arrow through his chest."

"But she had him. She could have killed him." Theon added, earning a deadly glare from Elaena. She didn't need him to protect her. She could have handled the situation without his help.

"I told you to come with me, Elaena." Robb said, his voice severe and scolding. "I told you not to be alone in these woods."

"Robb, I stayed behind because I couldn't leave without my..." Elaena trailed off, glancing over at the wildling woman who watched their discussion attentively. " _Zaldrīzes_." While Theon frowned in confusion, Robb immediately understood what she meant. _Zaldrīzes_ meant 'dragons' in High Valyrian. After all, it was Elaena's mother tongue, and Maester Luwin thought that she should learn that tongue as well. So, he taught it to her. Then, Elaena decided to share some of that knowledge with Robb. That was why he recognized the word.

Robb wanted to say something else about the subject, but he understood that _that_ was not the time, nor the place. His icy blue eyes landed on the wildling woman who glared at them with pleading eyes. "What about her?"

The wildling woman clapped her hands together and started begging for her life. "Give me my life, my lord, and I'm yours!"

Robb glanced over at Elaena, silently asking her about her opinion on this, and she nodded affirmatively at him. Robb's eyes analyzed the wildling woman and after a few moments of pondering, he nodded with his head. "We'll keep her alive."

* * *

"Robb, enough of this..."

"No, Elaena, it's not enough! You could have been killed! Don't you understand?"

"I do! But I had to protect them, Robb." Elaena paused, taking a deep breath. She knew that Robb cared a lot about her, but he was making a fuss over nothing. "I am sorry, but I was not going to let that wildling threaten Rhaegon and Visemon! He wanted to take them from me! Even if Theon hadn't shown up, I would have killed him. If I didn't, he would kill me or worse. I know you care about me, but-"

" _Care_ about you?" Robb repeated, pulling her closer to him. "I love you, Elaena! I don't _just_ care about you, I love you." Robb held her face between his hands rather gently and caressed her pale cheeks. "I know you can take care of yourself, you always have, but I still worry, because I love you."

Elaena froze in place, her violet eyes sparkling with tears, as did Robb's. The Targaryen beauty smiled happily and swallowed hard, throwing herself onto his arms. Robb remained silent and buried his face in her perfumed hair, pure relief washing over him as he felt her as close to him as humanly possible. If she had been killed, Robb didn't know what he would do without her. "I love you too, Robb." Elaena said at last, pulling away from him so that she could look into his blue eyes.

Suddenly, the atmosphere between them seemed to have changed. Robb was no longer mad at her for being so reckless; he actually seemed much calmer, and somewhat excited. Elaena's lips landed on his, and he couldn't help but growl in desire. She kissed him slowly and hugged him close to her as he carried her to his bed with all the time in the world. It was late at night, and her dragons were resting inside her chambers. Finally, they had a moment for themselves. Robb placed her in his bed rather carefully, and then proceeded to lay on top of her. Elaena was breathless, because she imagined what would come next. Putting those thoughts aside, she melted into their soft kiss, allowing him to start pulling her dress down. Robb had wanted to take her so badly, but he didn't want to push her. Still, she seemed quite willing. This time, she wanted him as well. She felt ready. Elaena began pulling the straps of his leather shirt, her eyes never leaving his. Robb finished pulling off her dress, and Elaena was now naked under him. Robb could feel her hot skin, her slender curves, her abundant breasts. His heart was pounding wildly as Elaena attached her lips to his once again, her hands taking care of pulling off his shirt, beginning to remove his pants as well. Robb stopped her, his hands covering hers. "Are you sure you want this?" He questioned her, his eyes full of love and lust.

She nodded, gulping thickly. "I want this, Robb. I want _you_. Please..."

Robb grinned, settling between her legs. Her hands traveled down his back as she felt his muscles, until they landed on his pants. Elaena started trying to pull them down, but she couldn't quite do it on her own. Robb chuckled and helped her pulling them down. Once they were off, he threw them to the floor, his hands once more caressing her curves and her breasts. Elaena felt his hardness brushing against her thigh and her whole body shivered in excitement. She knew that it was going to hurt, but she still wanted it to happen. She knew that Robb wanted it as well.

Elaena gasped when she felt his hand grazing the inside of her thighs, his lips planting sloppy, wet kisses on her neck. His mouth descended to her breasts, and he began licking and sucking the right nipple, while caressing the other one rather gently. She moaned lightly, trying to get a hold of herself. "Robb, please..." She murmured, her hands grasping his curly hair. "Please..."

It seemed like he enjoyed to torture her like that.

Elaena pushed him away from her, her hands landing on his chest while she sat on top of Robb, one leg for each side of his body. Robb smirked, his eyes analyzing every inch of her body. She was beautiful, she was perfect. Elaena blushed, still feeling his eyes ravaging her. Robb sat up, but she remained on his lap. His arousal touched the inside of her thighs, and she gasped at that new feeling. Robb claimed her lips one more time, before pulling her more into him. Elaena sighed happily into the kiss, knowing that he was smiling as well. When they stopped, Robb glanced at her violet eyes; they were sparkling with passion. The tip of his arousal rested against her entrance, and she moved to let it in completely. Elaena's oxygen became trapped inside her lungs, and she closed her eyes, burying her nails in his shoulders and back. _Gods, this hurts_ , she thought to herself as she felt Robb thrusting more into her. The Young Wolf notice the pain in her expression and stopped, but she squeezed his hands, silently telling him to continue.

"Are you sure? I can stop..."

"No, don't..." Elaena's voice was hoarse. "Please..."

Robb nodded, his hands gripping her hips to help her with the movements. After a few more moments, Robb caught her in his arms and laid her on the bed, immediately moving to lie on top of her. Elaena opened her legs for him, and allowed him to come inside her once again. This time, it didn't hurt so much. She was beginning to relax, so Robb began picking up the pace. Robb and Elaena let out soft moans of satisfaction, while her nails marked his back.

"Oh, Robb..."

Her voice turned him on even more. The pain between her legs was beginning to fade away to be replaced by pleasure. Elaena's lips found his, and she kissed wildly. His tongue begged for entrance, and she allowed it. Elaena tried not to moan too loud, because she didn't want anyone to know about this. Surely, they were to be married very soon, but their sexual life was not to be known. She enjoyed their privacy very much.

After a few more minutes, Robb released his seed inside her. The Young Wolf got out of her and laid beside her, pulling the sheets up to cover them. Robb rolled on the bed, still panting, and grabbed her. Elaena was practically sweating, and so was he. "I love you." He breathed, kissing her passionately.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hello, guys! I want to apologize for any writing mistakes that you might find. I hope you enjoy the chapter. It has a bit of sexual content, so if you feel uncomfortable about it, you can skip it!**


	11. A Crown For A King

The next day, Elaena woke up with a happy smile plastered on her pink lips. She opened her violet eyes and noticed that Robb was still sleeping soundly, a light snoring filling the room. The desire to throw herself onto Robb and wake him up with kisses was beginning to swallow her wholly, but she decided to remain quiet. Her head was lying on his chest, and his arm was wrapped around her shoulders. She could hear his heart beating slowly, peacefully. The images of the previous night came into her mind, and she found herself wishing for it to happen again, and again. Elaena blushed almost instantly, remembering that she was no longer a maiden. Her body shivered as the sensations of last night washed over her, and she turned to look at Robb again. Even during his sleep, he seemed satisfied and happy. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek, which caused him to open his eyes.

"Good morning, my lord." Elaena smirked mockingly.

"Good morning, my soon-to-be wife." Robb greeted, pulling her face closer to his to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "Were you watching me in my sleep?"

"Perhaps I was..." Elaena answered, smiling widely at him. Her violet eyes were filled with love, it was obvious. Robb's hands traveled through the slender curves of her body, the fact that she was completely his still amazing him, and he pulled her closer to him. His lips claimed hers, and she tangled her fingers into his curly hair. "We should probably start thinking about getting up..."

Robb lied on top of her, their gazes were locked onto one another. His hand trailed down her belly, until it reached the inside of her thighs, causing her to smile wickedly. Elaena tried to pull him more into her, but he didn't allow her, instead he continued to look at the change in her expression. His fingers worked its way through her entrance, causing her to moan softly. "Robb..." Elaena smirked warningly, wrapping her arms around his neck. His excitement was more than evident, and he surely loved to hear her moaning out his name in pleasure. "Robb..." She whispered again, her eyes half-lidded.

"I just can't get enough of you, Ella..." Robb murmured in her ear, causing her whole body to tremble in pure arousal. "How can you expect me to want to leave bed when I have you here, lying under me, completely and utterly _naked_?" Elaena grinned, her cheeks turning into a light pink. "I wish we could stay here forever, just the two of us..."

"So do I, but unfortunately, we have responsibilities we must take care of." Elaena mumbled, her smile falling almost completely when she remembered all her duties as the new Lady of Winterfell. She already felt tired and the day hadn't even begun yet. "Maester Luwin won't like it if we spend the entire day locked away in your chambers. He'll know that something is up... and I have to take care of Rhaegon and Visemon." Robb ignored her exasperated words and began planting soft kisses on her collarbone until he reached her beautiful breasts. "Oh, Gods..."

"Can't we just enjoy each other's company a little while longer?"

Elaena seemed to ponder about it for a few moments. Then, she finally gave in. "Fine... Ten minutes, Robb, ten minutes, and no more!"

* * *

 _King's Landing_

"You're in pain." Cersei commented, her emerald green eyes examining Lord Eddard's hurt leg. The Queen sauntered closer to him, her hands grasping her long dress so it wouldn't touch the dirty ground. Her way of walking indeed resembled a lioness; it was calculating and slow, as if she was picking out the best way to attack her prey. Everything about Cersei Lannister was dangerous, and Eddard needed to be careful around her.

"I've had worse, my lady."

"Perhaps it's time to go home. The South doesn't seem to agree with you."

"I know the truth Jon Arryn died for." Ned countered abruptly, causing Cersei to smile perilously at him. _Foolish, honorable man_ , the Queen thought to herself, _he should know better than to threaten and anger a lioness_! Ned Stark should have never left the North to come South, he was too righteous for his own good.

"Do you, Lord Stark?" Cersei was not afraid of him. Eddard was a good man, perhaps even too good, but he was no match for a lioness. His honor was going to be the death of him, she was sure of it. "Is that why you called me here, to pose me riddles?"

Ned shook his head, his grey eyes noticing the large purple mark that King Robert had left on her pale cheek. "Has he done this before?"

"Jaime would have killed him. My brother is worth a thousand of your friend."

"Your brother... or your lover?"

"The Targaryens wed brothers and sisters for three hundred years to keep bloodlines pure. Jaime and I are more than brother and sister. We shared a womb. We came into this world together. We belong together!" In Ned's opinion, Cersei must have played and replayed those words in her mind a thousand times to make herself feel better about what she was doing with Jaime, to make it seem right, when it wasn't like that at all. Targaryens were almost forced to marry their own brothers and sisters, most of them didn't even have a choice, since they were mostly forced into it by their parents. Other times, the incest just came naturally for them, because it was already embedded in their genes. What they were doing was wrong and vile.

"My son saw you with him." Eddard said accusingly. Cersei knew exactly what Ned was implying, so she smiled evilly. "That is why you've tried to kill him. Twice." Her silence was more than enough for him to gather the answers to his own questions. "But Elaena, my ward. Why try to burn her? What did she do to you? She didn't see anything, she didn't know anything about you and your lover."

"Jaime had his own reasons to believe that she posed a threat." Cersei simply replied. Elaena Targaryen was a much more delicate subject to discuss. Talking about it in public would doom them all. Jaime and Cersei had organized the two assassination attempts. The Queen had already been informed about their failure, because both Bran and Elaena were still alive. She didn't feel like she had lost yet, because there was still plenty of time to turn the game on her favor. Accusing Eddard of protecting a Targaryen girl would have been much more enjoyable, but she knew that _that_ would simply not work out. She told herself that she didn't care for Robert anymore, but forcing him to kill his best friend, his _brother_ , would have been atrocious, and some small part of her didn't want to watch him suffer any more than necessary. Also, if Robert executed Eddard, a war would begin, and conflicts like this should be avoided. Still, she already had plans for him. Cersei would eliminate her enemies with time and, one by one, they would all fall dead in front of her, because unlike them, she knew how to play the game of thrones. "Do you love your children, Ned?"

"With all my heart."

"No more than I love mine."

"And they're all Jaime's."

"Thank the Gods!" Cersei exclaimed. "In the rare event that Robert leaves his whores for long enough to stumble drunk into my bed, I finish him off in other ways. In the morning, he doesn't remember."

"You've always hated him."

"Hated him?" Cersei sounded almost offended by such accusation. "I worshipped him. Every girl in the Seven Kingdoms dreamed of him, but he was mine by oath. And when I finally saw him on our wedding day in the Sept of Baelor, lean and fierce and black-bearded, it was the happiest moment of my life. Then, that night, he crawled on top of me, stinking of wine and did what he did... what little he could do... and whispered in my ear, 'Lyanna'. Your sister was a corpse and I was a living girl and he loved her more than me."

Eddard cleared his throat, taken aback by her response. "When the King returns from his hunt, I'll tell him the truth. You must be gone by then... you and your children. I will not have their blood on my hands. Go as far away as you can, with as many men as you can, because wherever you go, Robert's wrath will follow you."

Cersei couldn't help but smile mockingly at the honorable man. He truly knew nothing about this game. "And what of my wrath, Lord Stark? You should have taken the realm for yourself. Jaime told me about the day King's Landing fell. He was sitting on the Iron Throne and you made him give it up. All you needed to do was climb the steps yourself. Such a sad mistake."

"I've made many mistakes in my life, but that wasn't one of them."

"Oh, but it was." Cersei paused, taking a step closer to him. "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

* * *

 _Winterfell_

Robb and Elaena were panting and sweating immensely. The Lord of Winterfell rolled to the other side of his bed and laughed, planting his hand over his racing heart. Elaena smiled and once again placed her head on his chest. "You do realize that we shouldn't do this before our wedding, right?" The Targaryen girl commented, trying to remain serious. It was only the second time that they had made love, but during the two times that it had happened, Robb had released his seed inside of her. "I don't want to become pregnant in a time like this."

"And what time would this be?"

"Robb, we make one wrong move and we start a war." Elaena sighed, closing her eyes. "I don't want our children to grow in an environment like that. And honestly, I wouldn't feel very comfortable about asking Maester Luwin to get me some moon tea."

"I agree." Robb answered, running his hand through his tousled hair. "So, are you saying that we should stop for now?"

"At least until we are married." Elaena nodded with her head.

"Then I want to get married now." Robb smirked, pulling her closer to him. Elaena smiled and chuckled, obviously not taking his demand seriously. "I am serious, Ella. I want to get married as soon as possible. I want you to be mine."

"I am already yours."

" _Officially_."

"Shouldn't we at least wait until your mother returns to Winterfell?"

"My mother's been very busy, maybe too much." Robb countered, squeezing Elaena against his chest. She hugged him close to her and listened to his heart as it returned to its normal rhythm. "She had Tyrion Lannister trapped and let him slip right through her fingers."

"Perhaps it was better that way, Robb. The Lannisters always pay their debts, remember?"

"Yes. Sooner or later, Tywin Lannister would have sent an army towards us just to get his son back."

"Lord Tywin might hate Tyrion, but he's still a Lannister."

"Precisely."

"Well, Robb, I do not know about you but I, as Lady of Winterfell, must return to my chambers and take a bath, so I can go about our castle and attend to my duties." Lazily, Elaena got out of bed and began picking up her clothes from the floor. Robb remained lying on his bed, his icy blue eyes following her every move as she paced across his bedroom. Elaena was beautiful and deliciously slender, and he just couldn't stop himself from admiring her body. The Targaryen girl had her back turned to him, which gave him a perfect view of her bottom. "Quit staring. I can feel your eyes on me." Robb couldn't look away, no matter how hard he tried. Then, she whirled around and threw her clothes on the bed, walking terribly slowly towards him. Her belly was flat and her breasts were lusciously round and well-built. Robb wanted to have her again, but he knew that they shouldn't.

"Please, put your clothes on, or I might have the urge to have you again." Robb growled as he felt himself becoming hard again. Elaena smiled innocently, picking up her dress. She loved to tease him, it seemed. Instead of putting it on, Elaena pulled the sheets that covered Robb's body and sat on top of him, her entrance brushing against his hardness. She hadn't forgotten her own words, but she couldn't keep away from him for long. "Elaena, I thought you said-"

"I know what I said." Elaena interrupted, placing a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. When Robb opened his eyes to look at her, they were once again filled with lust. Elaena held his gaze for painfully long moments, before she made a move to let him enter her completely. Robb gasped and gripped her hips tightly, helping her with the movements. Robb started releasing soft moans of pleasure, while Elaena tried hard not to moan too loud. His right hand crawled up her belly until it reached her breast to caress it gently. Elaena jerked her head back and said his name in a strangled gasp, beginning to make slower movements to provoke him. Robb couldn't handle it anymore, so he picked her up and switched places, throwing her onto the bed to place himself over her. With his hands, Robb parted her legs and entered her once again, this time taking faster and deeper thrusts into her. The sound of their bodies working as one and their uncontrollable moans were the only audible clatter in Robb's bedroom, and Elaena worried that maybe they were being too noisy and violent, because the bed was beginning to creak loudly. "Robb..." His hands grasped the headboard of the bed to thrust even deeper into her, making the bed shriek louder.

"Elaena..."

Suddenly, there was a heavy knock on the door, causing both of them to stop immediately. Elaena pushed Robb off of her and picked up her dress, beginning to put it on as quickly as possible. "Just a moment!" Robb yelled, grabbing his leather shirt and his pants to start dressing himself as well. Elaena's heart was pounding fast, not only because of the pleasure Robb had given her, but also because they might have been caught. Her cheeks were turning bright red, and she was still gasping from all the hurry. Two minutes later, Robb and Elaena were fully dressed. The Lord of Winterfell opened the door and Elaena felt her entire world fall to her feet when she saw that it was only Theon Greyjoy. "Theon."

Theon wore a dirty smirk on his lips. Oh, Gods. He knew it. He had heard them. "Having fun, were you?"

" _Sīkudi nopāzmi_..." Elaena murmured in High Valyrian; it meant 'Seven Hells'. She whirled around to hide her ashamed expression and touched her red cheeks, noticing how burning hot they were.

"Elaena's a real beast, eh?" Theon entered Robb's chambers, his eyes analyzing the whole scenario. Noticing how messy Robb's sheets were, Theon gathered enough proof to know that they were indeed having sex. "I mean, you're not exactly quiet. I was walking through this corridor and when I was near your door, I heard you two moaning loudly. Not to mention the bed... It could have been someone else, so consider yourselves lucky that it was only me."

Elaena eyed Robb carefully and noticed that he was completely speechless. He wanted to say something, he wanted to speak, but he just couldn't. "So what if we were making love, eh? There's nothing wrong with that." Elaena countered, placing her hands over her hips in a defensive manner.

"No, no, no." Theon shook his head. "About that you're right, but make it less... loud, aye? Moaning like that, I mean, they probably even heard you down in the South!" At that, Theon burst out laughing. Elaena rolled her eyes and grabbed a pillow, throwing it at Theon's face. "Hey! What the hell was that for?"

"Are you still asking?" Elaena inquired, her tone stern and harsh. "Gods!"

"What are you doing here anyway?" Robb was finally able to speak, and he surely wasn't happy about Theon having found out about what they were doing.

"Maester Luwin sent me to fetch you." Theon answered, trying to remain serious. "I was going to Elaena's chambers next, because he required her presence as well, but I guess that won't be needed any more." Theon snickered once again. His face was beginning to turn red from laughing so hard at them.

Elaena slapped the back of his head and glared daggers at him. "Will you ever shut up about this?"

"Not a chance!"

* * *

 _King's Landing_

Eddard Stark couldn't believe it when he was informed about King Robert's nearing death. The drunken fool came back from his hunt almost torn to pieces. Robert had been drinking too much wine, as he always did. The black-bearded man felt almost pathetic for letting that boar tear him apart. "Too much wine, missed my thrust... It stinks, it stinks like death. Don't think I can't smell it. I paid the bastard back, Ned. I drove my knife right through his brain! You ask them if I didn't! Ask them!" Eddard glanced around the room sadly, the thought of losing his best friend haunting him inside. Cersei Lannister and Grand Maester Pycelle stood next to the door, only watching him. Cersei was quiet, too quiet. Robert's youngest brother, Renly Baratheon, watched the dying king with empty eyes. It was no secret that those two hardly tolerated one another. Robert never cared for any of his siblings. It didn't even seem like it hurt Renly to watch his older brother stand so close to death. "I want the funeral feast to be the biggest the kingdoms ever saw, and I want everyone to taste the boar that got me! Now leave us, the lot of you. I need to talk to Ned." Cersei still tried to dissuade him, but the king yelled back at her, ordering all of them to leave immediately. And so they did. Robert let out a pained growl. His face was pale like death, and his wound also smelled like it.

"You damned fool!" Ned was able to say at last.

"Paper and ink on the table, write down what I say." Robert ordered, ignoring his best friend's frustrated insult. Eddard did as he was told and grabbed hold of a piece of paper and a quill. " _In the name of Robert of the House Baratheron, first of_... you know how it goes. Fill in the damn titles." Robert paused, taking a deep, painful breath before continuing. " _I hereby command Eddard of House Stark_... titles, titles... _to serve as Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm upon my death, to rule in my stead until my son Joffrey comes of age_." Instead of writing 'my son Joffrey', Eddard replaced it with 'my rightful heir', and handed it to Robert so he could sign it. When he was done with it, Eddard placed the paper back on the table. "Give it to the council after I'm dead. At least they'll say I did this right, this one thing. You'll rule now. You'll hate it worse than I did, but you'll do it well." Eddard loathed the idea of ruling Westeros, but he would do it, if it meant that he would honor Robert's memory and serve his kindgom justly. "The girl... Daenerys." Eddard froze in his place, once again fearing what Robert was going to say. "You were right. Varys, Littlefinger, my brother. Worthless! No one to tell me 'no' but you. Only you." The ghost of a smile passed through his lips, but it was momentary. "Let her live. Stop it, if it's not too late."

"I will."

"And-"

"Wait, before you carry on with your speech, there is something you must know. Something that hurt me to do it, but it was the right thing to do, and so I did it. I couldn't let you die without knowing this." Eddard uttered, knowing that _that_ was the right moment to tell him the whole truth. "All those years ago, when Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen fled Westeros, they were not the last Targaryens. The night Rhaella gave birth to Daenerys, she didn't come out of the Queen's womb alone. She had a twin sister who came out before her." Robert's expression was beginning to change drastically, but Eddard couldn't read through it. "Elaena Targaryen was her twin sister; my supposedly wildling ward. That girl you saw standing beside my bastard and my ward when you arrived to Winterfell, that girl you said to be a sight for sore eyes, because she truly is beautiful, that girl, Robert, is in fact Elaena Stormborn Targaryen. Her mother Rhaella sent her to the North, begging me to take care of her and see her married to my oldest son. She wanted her to be raised with honor."

"And so she was."

"And so she was. And I have lied to you and everyone else who asked about it, I have done it for many, many years."

"Because you thought that I would slaughter her as soon as I laid my hands on her."

"You would have done it, Robert. You wouldn't have been able to see past the fact that she was a Targaryen, even though she was entirely innocent. I know that if I told you about her, you would have had her executed."

"Perhaps the man that I once was would have done that, but I see things differently now, Ned. A bit too late, wouldn't you say?" Robert barked a laugh, coughing out a large amount of blood. Eddard grimaced, the sight of his best friend in pain causing him to shudder. "I forgive you, Ned. I know that you were only doing what you _knew_ that was the right thing. Marry her to your son Robb. I remember that the boy was already all over her. Let her and her sister live, Ned. Protect her."

"I will, Robert."

"And my son... Help him, Ned. Make him better than me."

"I'll... I'll do everything I can to honor your memory."

"My memory..." Robert repeated, shaking his head. Eddard smiled grimly, while his king laughed at himself. "King Robert Baratheon: murdered by a pig!" The man stopped laughing suddenly and stared at his best friend with gloomy eyes. Eddard knew that it was finally time for Robert to go. "Give me something for the pain and let me die."

* * *

 _Winterfell_

"My lady!"

Elaena was sitting by the desk of Lady Catelyn's old office, analyzing the accounts with great care, when Maester Luwin appeared on the door. She looked up from the papers and saw what the Maester held in his two hands. A letter. Elaena immediately jumped up from her chair and approached the old man in a hurry. "A letter from your twin sister, Daenerys."

"She has been writing to me more often than the usual. I wonder if something wrong has happened, Maester Luwin."

"Read the letter, my lady."

Elaena unrolled the parchment and began reading it out loud. " _Elaena, I have news for you, concerning our brother Viserys. Recently, Khal Drogo and I brought our Khalasar to Vaes Dothrak, the sacred city of the Dothraki where no free man's blood can be shed. Here, men are not allowed to use blades or swords, but Viserys went against that rule, I am afraid. Our brother has threatened to take me away from my people, from my husband, and he has threatened to murder my unborn child, in front of Drogo, claiming he wanted what was bargained for - his army. Viserys never cared for me. He sold me to become powerful, simple as that. Responding to our brother's threats, Drogo used a pot that sat above the hot fire and threw some golden chains inside, melting them. Two men held Viserys down, and Drogo spilled the molten gold all over his head. Finally, Drogo had given him the golden crown Viserys so much desired. He died almost instantly. I know what you are thinking, Elaena. Viserys was our brother, but he was a vicious, power-hungry fool with no sense of family. He would have had me killed if it meant he would get an army in return. I was not important to him, and neither were you. We may have never met, but I care for you, sister. I am so sorry to bring you these news, Ella, but if you knew about everything that Viserys did, you would understand why this was a relief to me. Viserys was not a true dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon. You and I, Elaena, we are the truthful daughters of the dragon. Fire runs through our veins. And I believe that, if anyone can take back the Iron Throne, it is you, sister. I will stand behind you if you ever decide to do it. You have my word._ "

"Viserys was..." Maester Luwin began saying, but he trailed off when he noticed the look in Elaena's violet eyes.

The Targaryen girl had never met her older brother, and she knew that he had flaws, many, many flaws, but she didn't wish for him to die. Her eyes were puffy, and it was clear that she was trying her hardest not to cry in front of the old Maester. "It was for the best." Elaena chose to say, reading the letter again, this time to herself only. "He would have hurt Dany and her baby. He would have killed them."

"My lady-"

"Please, Maester Luwin, leave me. And close the door."

"If I may say just one thing, one thing only, my lady..." Maester Luwin said as Elaena gulped and nodded, allowing him to speak freely. "You have a good heart. Do not let this ruin you. You've never met this boy. Do not direct your angst against your twin sister."

"I do not blame Daenerys, but he was my brother, nevertheless. My flesh and blood."

"Quite right too." Maester Luwin countered, glancing down at his aged hands. "I will not bother you any more, Elaena."

"Thank you, Maester Luwin."


	12. On the Brink of War

" _Dracarys_."

Elaena eyed Visemon with great intensity, wondering if her purplish scaled dragon was finally going to be able to breathe fire to start roasting his meat. Elaena had brought both roasted and raw meat; if it worked, they could start roasting their own food. If not, there was no problem, because they had plenty of time to start learning how to properly do it. Rhaegon eyed his brother with curious eyes and pushed him aside, directing his purple orbs towards the raw meat. The silvery scaled dragon opened his mouth and breathed out, a small amount of smoke mixed with fire coming out of him. Elaena laughed and clapped at her child, and then continued watching Visemon as he attempted to breathe fire once more. Rhaegon ate the small piece of meat that he had roasted and approached the Targaryen girl, obviously begging her to place him on her lap. And so she did, of course.

"Come on, Visemon. I know you can do it." Elaena murmured, never once glancing away from the purplish scaled reptile. " _Dracarys_." The small creature glared at the piece of meat and opened his mouth, exhaling. Nothing but air came out, though. Elaena smiled, nevertheless. Her children could never disappoint her, no matter what. Visemon, on the other hand, did not seem quite pleased about the fact that Rhaegon had been able to roast his meat and he hadn't. He growled in frustration and tried once again, this time the rage in him helping Visemon to finally breathe a small amount of fire mixed with smoke. Elaena clapped and placed Rhaegon on the bed, picking Visemon up from the floor to offer him some maternal affection. "I told you could do it. Well done, my sweet!"

Robb Stark hadn't seen Elaena Targaryen coming out of her chambers for three days now. The Lord of Winterfell was beginning to truly worry about his soon-to-be wife. Viserys Targaryen was her older brother, but a mere stranger to her. Daenerys and Elaena were much more close, not only because they were twins, but also because they exchanged letters for many, many years. They knew each other, of course. Viserys had never showed any sort of interest in getting to know his other sister, but still, Elaena seemed quite surprised and wounded by his death. Once, a long time ago, Elaena believed in the possibility of meeting her siblings. Now, she didn't have faith in anything, not anymore.

Elaena sat on the floor and watched her two little dragons devouring the roasted meat. Rhaegon and Visemon were still very young, and they couldn't eat too large amounts of meat. Therefore, Elaena pulled both of them away, but they both hissed threateningly at her. At first, Elaena was taken aback by that, but then she assumed a defensive and authoritarian position. If she showed them any fear, they would never show her respect again. "You dare not do this to me again, Rhaegon, Visemon. I am your mother, and you will respect me." Surprisingly, her words seemed to have an effect on them, because both lowered their heads and approached her with caution. Rhaegon jumped on her lap and leaned his head against her abdomen, while Visemon almost begged for her attention and affection. Elaena was not going to give in just yet, since they needed to learn how to respect at least their own mother. Carefully, Elaena picked Rhaegon up from her lap and placed him down on the floor, rising when she heard a heavy knock on the door. The Targaryen girl glared at her dragons severely once more before making a move to open the door. She smiled weakly. "Robb."

"Elaena."

They eyed each other for short seconds before Robb pulled her into his arms and hugged her close to him. He almost seemed desperate to feel her touch again, to kiss her lips again, and so he did. His hand grasped her silvery-blonde hair and his lips took over hers. Elaena moaned into the kiss, her legs beginning to tremble with the growing excitement. That was when they broke apart, because she realized they were still standing right in front of her children. "I love you." Robb said, almost out of breath. Elaena smiled genuinely, leaning her head against his chest.

"I love you too, Robb."

"I have been so worried about you." Robb confessed, still not letting her go. His arms were wrapped around her body, while she leaned against him. Elaena closed the door and tried to take a step back, but Robb wouldn't tear himself away from her. "I tried to give you your space to mourn your brother, but I could not take it any longer. I wanted to see you. I _had_ to see you."

"It is fine, Robb." Elaena answered, closing her eyes when she leaned her head against his fair chest. Just his smell was enough to make her feel better again. If she ever lost Robb, she would definitely lose her mind. She truly loved him, Elaena knew it. "I have never met Viserys. A part of me was hopeful that, maybe someday, he would be able to take over the Iron Throne, and I could finally meet him, my king, my brother. But that was never going to happen, was it, Robb? I only have Daenerys now, but nothing is certain, and maybe, hopefully not, one day, I will be the last surviving Targaryen. My entire family will have died, turned to ashes, and I will be the only one left, the only one who can make a change. I cannot let our line die, I cannot allow us to become just memories in people's minds."

"What are you saying?" Robb questioned her, his icy blue eyes analyzing her expression with caution.

"Nothing certain... _yet_." Elaena responded, stealing a glance towards her dragons, who observed her with mere admiration.

"You would make a good queen." Robb said then, causing her to arch an eyebrow and smile at her future husband. "You would be respected. The people would cherish you, they would love you. You are kind, but fair. You are strong, but delicate. And you are intelligent, and beautiful, and the Seven Kingdoms would be lucky to have you as their queen, but you have to make do with the fact that you are only the Lady of Winterfell."

"I was not raised to be a queen, Robb." Elaena mumbled, glancing down at their entwined hands. "I was raised to be a lady, _your_ lady, _the_ lady of Winterfell. That is more than enough, that is what I want." Robb grinned genuinely and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Princes and princesses, _those_ are raised to rule. Some ladies, very few, are raised to be queens, if they are set to marry the next king. But I was a princess who was only raised to be a lady. I know nothing about ruling the Seven Kingdoms."

"You are _still_ a princess, the princess of the Seven Kingdoms."

"I _was_." Elaena nodded to him, a grim look in her violet eyes. "I no longer hold that status."

"You will always hold that status. Your father was Aerys II Targaryen, your mother was Rhaella Targaryen. Your blood will always be royal, no matter who rules the Seven Kingdoms." Robb declared, his hands squeezing hers with tenderness. She laced her fingers with his and glanced up at him with loving, purple eyes. Robb was everything she ever wanted. The Iron Throne was secondary, and she hadn't yet thought about taking hold of it, like Daenerys had referred in the letter. The children of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell had all been murdered in cold blood, which meant that Elaena was the rightful heir. If she died, Daenerys would be the next in line, and she had no doubt that her sister would be more than willing to take it from the Usurpers. Secretly, there were plenty of Houses that would still bow to the dragons, and if Elaena ever decided to take the Iron Throne from the Lannisters, she would have a large army of supporters right behind her and Robb.

"If I were to be queen, you would be my king." Elaena murmured in his ear, causing him to shiver. "I am yours, and you are mine."

"Now and always."

Elaena grinned while her violet eyes were glued to Robb's lips. Before they could share another passionate kiss, there was a soft knock on the door, causing them both to roll their eyes. The Targaryen girl made a move to open the door, and her irritated expression immediately turned into a sympathetic one when she noticed that it was Maester Luwin. Her dragons had grown used to the presence of the old man, who usually visited her chambers to study the two little creatures, so they weren't even alarmed when they saw him standing by the door of their Mother's chambers. "My lord, my lady." The old Maester greeted them, bowing lightly. He held a letter in both hands, which caused Elaena's heart to throb faster. The silvery-haired beauty grasped Robb's hand with obvious trepidation as she thought about what news that letter brought to them. "This letter arrived early in the morning, from King's Landing."

* * *

"This cannot be true. Lord Stark wouldn't do such a thing, not without a very good reason."

"Treason? Sansa wrote this?"

"It is your sister's hand, but the Queen's words." Maester Luwin responded, accepting the letter in his hands so he could read it to himself once more. "You are summoned to King's Landing to swear fealty to the new King."

"Joffrey puts my father in chains and now he wants his ass kissed?"

Robb Stark was furious, to say the least. He was not going to bend his knee to a _boy_ who captured his father. What had happened for certain he didn't know, but he was not going to give in that easily. "This is a royal command, my lord. If you should refuse to obey-"

"I won't refuse." Robb interrupted the old man, his face serious and determined. "His Grace summons me to King's Landing, I'll go to King's Landing, but not alone." Elaena knew where this was all leading to, and she was scared of what would come out of this whole situation. Robb was making this decision to protect his family and to show others that no one could threaten the wolf, but she feared that he would end up hurting himself in the process of protecting his loved ones. She would always stand by his side, and if they were to die somehow, they would die together. "Call the banners."

"All of them, my lord?"

"They have all sworn to defend my father, have they not?"

"They have."

"Now we see what their words are worth."

Maester Luwin nodded and bowed, a small smile plastered on his aged lips. Robb was no longer a boy playing the Game of Thrones, and he was making the right decision. If it was war that they wanted, it was war that they would get. The Maester left the room and Robb took a seat next to Elaena, his hand searching for hers. She leaned her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath, caressing his skin with rather delicacy. They were no longer children playing with their swords in the courtyard, they were adults now, and they needed to do whatever it took to protect their family and household.

"Are you afraid?" Theon questioned Robb, a smirk gracing his lips. The Greyjoy ward was obviously proud of his friend's decision. Through thick and thin, he would remain by Robb's and Elaena's side.

Robb's free hand was shaking, which clearly showed his fear. "I must be."

"Good."

"Why is that good?"

"It means you're not stupid."

"Theon is right, as odd as that may seem, but you did the right thing." Elaena countered, her hand squeezing his with great tenderness. Robb was scared, as anyone would be, and Elaena knew that, whenever it happened, she needed to be his safe haven, she needed to be strong for him when he couldn't do it, as he would be for her it it were the other way around. "You know that I, _we_ will stand by your side no matter what happens. Now and always."

"Now and always." Robb murmured, his eyes fixated on hers.

"They will get what they deserve." Theon commented, offering Elaena and Robb a very audacious glare after he ruined the small moment between them. "They put a spear through your father's leg and now they have him rotting in a bloody dungeon."

"They will pay." Elaena agreed, rising up from her seat. "We will make them pay, with fire and blood."

"And with ice, and iron."

* * *

"Must I really attend to this meeting?"

"I know it is not the most pleasant thing, but you must come, since you are my lady and we are to be married very soon." Robb said to Elaena as he watched the Targaryen beauty going about her closet in search of a decent dress to wear. Robb couldn't tear his eyes away from her, because Elaena wasn't wearing any clothes. "It would be a bit rude of you if you did not make an appearance. They are our bannermen. They have sworn to protect my father, to fight for our house."

Elaena groaned in exasperation. "Gods, I know that."

"Then what is it?"

Elaena didn't respond to his question, instead she pulled out a white dress from her closet and eyed it with great care. "This one?" Robb jumped up from her bed and hugged her naked body from behind, his left hand grasping her hip while the other one trailed down below, until it reached the inside of her thighs. Her cheeks turned bright red and she sighed internally, wishing that they could lay in bed and ravage each other for eternity. Since that morning when Theon had caught them in the middle of the act that they hadn't done absolutely anything to one another, and she was starting to miss it a lot. Elaena could also tell that Robb missed it as well, because he was rubbing his hardness against her, which caused her to moan lightly. "Robb, please..."

"Please, what?" He mumbled in her ear, his cold breath against her hot skin. His hand began massaging her intimacy, and she closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy it, letting the white dress fall on the floor of her bedroom. They had promised each other that they wouldn't make love until they were officially married, but that didn't mean that they couldn't please each other in other ways.

"Why must you tease me like this?" Elaena drawled out, barely getting a hold of herself. "You know that I cannot resist you." Suddenly, she whirled around with a dangerous smirk plastered on her pink lips and pushed him against her bed, causing him to sit down. She got on her knees and her hands crawled up his legs, until they reached his hardness. Her violet eyes never left his icy blue ones, that is, until he closed them when he felt Elaena caressing and rubbing him with perilously slow movements. To do something like that in her chambers would have been unthinkable because Rhaegon and Visemon were always there, but Maester Luwin had asked her to take them to his bedroom so he could spend some time with those small and interesting creatures to examine them with great care. Elaena didn't mind it one bit because she trusted Luwin and she knew that he would be good to them. Elaena pulled Robb's pants down to reveal his massive erection, and she smiled when she noticed how frustrated he truly was. Actually, he was suffering even more from their abstention than she was, she had realized. "Oh, Robb..."

"Please, Elaena, stop..." Robb managed to finally breathe out, opening his eyes to send her a pained glare.

"Oh, now you are saying that." Elaena laughed, wanting to lay him on her bed. She took a deep breath and tried to remain in control of her own actions, but it was difficult, since all that Robb could do was to send her pleading, begging looks. Oh, how he wanted her. "When you were torturing me, it did not occur to you that I could do you the same thing, or worse." Elaena started fiddling with the straps of his leather shirt, until that piece of clothing was completely off his toned body. She pulled down his pants and threw them away from them, proceeding to sit on top of him, one leg for each side of his body. Robb did nothing but watch her with greedy, admiring eyes. He wasn't even going to stop her, because he wanted her so badly, he couldn't even think straight anymore. With her right hand, she directed the tip of his arousal and led it completely inside her, causing Robb to gasp loudly. Elaena began to make slow but torturing movements, causing him to groan in pure pleasure. With his lips pressed to her neck and her hands pressed against his chest, Robb gripped her hips to help her with the movements, causing him to thrust into her deeper and deeper. Elaena bit her lip to prevent herself from moaning, but the wet kisses that Robb insisted on leaving on her collarbone and breasts were driving her mad. It seemed to her that they would never be able to get enough of each other, Robb would always need to be near her, he would always need to be inside her, and Elaena would always need him as well, no matter what happened. Their connection was unbreakable, no other woman could ever replace Elaena, and the same could be said about Robb. Her nails marked his back with considerable strength, which led him to release a very loud and feral growl. Robb loved it when she took over control, and she seemed to enjoy it quite a lot too. Both had forgotten about their promises about not making love until they were married, but it didn't seem to matter anymore, because they would be married very soon.

Robb lied back in her bed and, with both his hands, he helped her with the movements, both releasing soft moans of pleasure as she began picking up the speed. Robb noticed that she was beginning to feel tired, but he wasn't over yet, so they changed positions and Robb placed himself on top of Elaena. Her hands traveled down his back, until they reached his bottom, and Elaena squeezed it tightly while he entered her once again.

It only felt like minutes to them, but one hour and a half passed by until Robb released himself inside of her, his body finally stilling beside hers. They were both satisfied, for the moment. She smiled happily and placed her head on his chest, paying attention to his racing heart. Of all the times they had made love, which there hadn't been that many, Robb had always released his seed inside of her, and Elaena was beginning to worry about that. Perhaps she should have a conversation with Maester Luwin about the moon tea. Having to discuss that subject with the old man didn't please her that much, but if it was really necessary, she would do it. "We promised we wouldn't do it again." Elaena murmured in his ear, causing him to laugh, which gave her the chills. She enjoyed that sound so much, she found it hard to imagine how she would ever be able to live without it. "I am serious, Robb."

"It is not my fault."

"Oh, so it's mine?"

"You are the one who likes to walk around the bedroom completely and utterly naked."

"Aye, because the temperature in the castle is higher, and so is my body's. You have always known that. Outside I am always cold, but inside..." Elaena trailed off, noticing the teasing look in his blue eyes. "Oh, stop it!" She wanted to laugh, but she remained serious nevertheless.

Robb's expression changed into a troubled one as soon as he remembered what they should be doing: getting ready for the feast with their bannermen. "We will be at war soon." Elaena's violet eyes analyzed his icy blue orbs, and she found fear and apprehension in them. "These will be the last moments we have, before I go-"

"Before _we_ go." Elaena corrected him, her tone demanding and stern. "Before we go into war, because I am going with you. I will never leave your side."

"It's safer for you in Winterfell, Ella." Robb responded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to bring her closer to him.

"No, Robb, don't you even dare!" Elaena exclaimed, ripping away from him to sit on the bed. She was clearly mad at Robb for making such a decision. "I won't stay behind. I won't let you go to war without me. I told you I would remain by your side and I intend to keep my promise. You know I can defend myself. I am skilled with a sword, I can even fight beside you. I am not a damsel in distress, I have never been."

"Elaena-"

"No." Elaena interrupted him, the fire in her violet eyes becoming quite evident and strong. "You will not make this choice for me. I have the right to decide, and I decide that if you are to die at this war, I will die with you. We shall die together."

Robb was clearly at a loss of words. Elaena was determined to go with him, and there was nothing he could do to stop her. She was too headstrong and stubborn to cope with his decision to leave her behind. Of course he just wanted her to be kept safe in Winterfell, he didn't want her to die or to get hurt in battle. Robb loved her with his whole being and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her, so he would prefer to leave her behind instead of taking her with him just to watch her die before his eyes. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have a choice, because Elaena wouldn't let him leave Winterfell without her.

"Fine. Now you must prepare yourself, because the feast will start soon."

* * *

Elaena watched the men laughing and drinking, their loud and obnoxious voices piercing right through her ears. She wasn't very comfortable with being surrounded by men only, but none of them seemed to be bothered by her presence. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The Targaryen girl was sitting beside her lord, her small hand grasping his big one every once in a while. Robb could tell by the look in her violet eyes that she would rather be somewhere else, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was her duty too. Their upcoming marriage was not a secret to anyone, not anymore, and many of their bannermen had still congratulated them for it. Elaena was more beautiful than all of their wives, and some of them even envied Robb Stark for getting to keep such a beauty to himself. Still, if she was to be his wife soon, Elaena would be respected by all of them. The Greatjon was not a stranger to her, and neither were the others. When Elaena was a little girl, she got to know them and some of their sons. Not much trust was ever placed upon her, since they thought she was a wildling spawn, but they couldn't be considered strangers in her eyes. Elaena began to wonder how they would react to the truth about her origins. Many houses were still secretly loyal to the Targaryens, and if they wanted to avenge and rescue Lord Eddard Stark from the Lannisters' claws, they would need all the help they could get. She immediately pushed those thoughts aside and observed Bran as he remained quiet and glanced around the Great Hall, his big, brown eyes analyzing all the men in the room. The young boy seemed to be out of place, just like she was, or perhaps even more.

"Robb is gloating." Theon suddenly said, taking a large sip of his cup of wine. The Greyjoy boy was sitting right beside her, and Elaena couldn't help but hit him lightly with her elbow. "He seems satisfied. Look at him. We are on the brink of starting a war, and yet he will not stop smiling."

"What are you trying to say?" Elaena inquired, arching a delicate eyebrow in distrust.

"He will not stop smiling, because of you." Theon clarified, patting her shoulder. "You make him truly happy. I always knew that you loved each other, it was obvious after all, I just never thought that Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn would agree to the wedding. I am glad that they did, though. Can't say I could picture him with some other girl." Elaena smiled genuinely at that, because she could tell that Theon was being honest about it.

"He makes me happy too, Theon." Elaena answered with a sad look in her eyes. Of course Robb made her happy. He was the best thing that ever happened to her, and she would never let him go to war without her. She couldn't stop thinking about the nearing war and how that would affect them.

"I can tell." Theon commented, his sincere smile suddenly turning into a dirty one.

She laughed, because she knew what he was implying, but didn't reply anymore. That was not a good day to make sexual jokes. There was too much at stake, in that very moment. When Elaena finally tuned back in on the men's conversation, her ears began to hurt because of the extremely loud voice of Greatjon. "For thirty years I have been making corpses out of men, boy! I'm the man you want leading the vanguard!"

"Galbart Glover will lead the van." Robb stated simply, clearly not afraid of the bigger man's response.

Jon Umber was clearly offended by that statement. "The bloody Wall will melt before an Umber marches behind a Glover! I will lead the van, or I will take my men and march them home."

Robb was truly becoming unnerved by the older man's insistence. The Lord of Winterfell glanced up from the wooden table with a stern look in his eyes; Elaena could hardly see the blue in them because, in that moment, they appeared to be darker than the long night. "You are welcome to do so, Lord Umber. And when I am done with the Lannisters, I will march back north, root you out of your keep and hang you for an oathbreaker."

The Greatjon jumped up from his seat and threw his cup of wine away from him, obviously enraged by Robb's accusation. "Oathbreaker, is it?" As soon as he did that, the rest of the men jumped up from their seats as well, only a few remaining in place. "I will not sit here and swallow insults from a boy so green he pisses grass!" Jon Umber grasped his sword and prepared himself to take it out of its scabbard. Theon and Elaena immediately jumped up from their seats, both seeming quite alert. Grey Wind, on the other hand, didn't wait until the Greatjon made a move, instead he jumped on the table and ran towards him, all the men stumbling back as they saw the great beast running past them. The direwolf landed on the man, sending him to the floor. The Greatjon kicked and screamed, but it was all to no avail, because Grey Wind bit off two of his fingers and then he walked away. Everyone remained silent and watched as the man slowly rose from the floor, his good hand gripping the hurt one with great care.

"My lord father taught me it was death to bare steel against your liege lord, but doubtless, the Greatjon only meant to cut my meat for me."

"Your meat..." Jon Umber thundered, prepared to start another argument with Robb Stark. It took him a few moments to calm down from that. The Greatjon decided to avoid more complications, or else he would end up losing one of his hands, or perhaps even his head. "...is bloody tough!"

Slowly, all the men in the Great Hall started laughing at his response, even Robb and Theon. Elaena and Bran glanced at each other with confused eyes and both shrugged it off. It was safe to say that the Northern men were very strange, but Elaena liked that about them. They were her people. She smiled and took a deep breath, noticing that the dangerous time of the evening was over. Yet, something worse was coming their way.


End file.
